Nov 20 2025
It might seem impossible to buy until you know where to look. There are two ways to buy Monero: you could buy it discretely if you don't want anyone to know you possess it, or you can buy it with a photo ID on Kraken. We'll begin by discussing discrete modes for buying.
The first thing you will need is a Monero wallet to receive Monero. Go to FeatherWallet's onion site here using Tor Browser and download the Tails/Whonix Appimage. Boot Tails or Whonix and right-click the Appimage you just downloaded. Select properties. Select Permissions and tick the box to allow it to execute as a program. Next, double-click the Appimage and begin the wallet creation process. Guide setting up FeatherWallet? See here.
Tails and Whonix come preinstalled with Electrum BTC wallets. Pay a friend with CashApp to buy you some BTC. Have your friend send the BTC to your Electrum wallet's receiving address. Once you are in possession of the BTC, go to this site. Use Tor Browser on the safest security setting. Here you can exchange the BTC your friend sent you for some Monero. This is one of the fastest ways to buy and use Monero.
If you can avoid dealing with BTC and go straight to buying Monero, it is best. Not everyone has a Kraken.com account though. It's quick and easy to sign up for using a photo ID. The disadvantage of doing it this way is that Kraken holds your Monero for 7 days before you can transfer it to your anonymous FeatherWallet. If you have the patience and a friend willing to sign up with Kraken, it is better than CashApp.
If you don't have any friends left for whatever reason and no one is willing to help you for a fee, you may need to do the whole thing yourself. The directions are the same except you have no friends. You may want to use a VPN like Mullvad when conducting your CashApp/Kraken purchases to hide from your ISP that you are buying crypto. Your Kraken/CashApp/bank records will still reflect your purchase, but at least your ISP won't see what you do.
Tried Bisq before and it worked but it was very complicated. It's open-source though, which is really cool. There are a ton of options here for exchanging various currencies for Monero. KyCnot.me is a real blessing. Also, you can ask Forums. Just keep your Tor Browser on the safest security setting. This is the way to avoid bad actors. Only trust open-source software. Try to use the most discrete method possible unless you aren't afraid to draw attention.