Detailed 2026 review of buying Monero (XMR) on Bisq, covering Bisq 1 mechanics, post-exploit limits, trading fees, liquidity, and practical OPSEC for privacy-focused users.
XMR trading against BTC exists only on the Bisq 1 protocol. Trades run through multisig escrow and route exclusively over Tor, with both sides locking a refundable BTC security deposit before settlement.
Bisq 2 currently offers no XMR markets. Its Bisq Easy feature supports only BTC-fiat pairs, leaving users who need Monero reliant on the older Bisq 1 client.
The May 1, 2026 protocol exploit struck altcoin trades on Bisq 1, including XMR pairs, while Bisq 2 remained unaffected. Subsequent updates disabled XMR auto-confirmation and enforced stricter client-version checks to close the vector.
A dedicated BTC-XMR protocol for Bisq 2 remains in development with no announced release date. In the meantime, XMR/BTC continues to rank among the more active altcoin pairs still running on the hardened Bisq 1 network.
XMR trades on Bisq 1 run exclusively against BTC through a Tor-routed multisig escrow. A maker first creates an offer that lists the XMR amount, price, and chosen security deposit. Once a taker accepts, both parties lock refundable BTC deposits into the protocol before the trade advances.
Following the May 2026 exploit that affected altcoin trades, Bisq disabled XMR auto-confirmation and now enforces minimum client versions on all participants. Max price deviation is also capped at 25 percent and trade size is limited, reducing the scope for protocol abuse during the payment-account step.
On Bisq 1, XMR/BTC trades follow the same fee structure as other altcoin pairs. Makers pay 0.15% and takers pay 1.15% when settling in BTC, for a combined 1.3% rate. An absolute minimum of 0.000075 BTC applies to prevent dust outputs, per the October 2, 2026 wiki data.
Paying fees in BSQ lowers the burden. Makers face roughly 0.075% or 64.95 BSQ, while takers face 0.575% or 497.95 BSQ per BTC traded. The target combined rate sits near 0.975%, with exact BSQ amounts adjusted each DAO cycle.
| Payment Method | Maker Fee | Taker Fee | Combined Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTC | 0.15% (0.0015 BTC/BTC) | 1.15% (0.0115 BTC/BTC) | 1.3% |
| BSQ | ~0.075% (64.95 BSQ) | ~0.575% (497.95 BSQ) | ~0.975% |
Security deposits remain refundable BTC amounts chosen by the offer maker. Common ranges run 15–50% of trade size, with documented minimums at 0.006 BTC. These deposits return automatically on successful completion.
All deposit, trade, and payout transactions incur separate variable Bitcoin mining fees paid directly to miners. No fixed rate exists; costs fluctuate with network conditions and must be funded from the user’s wallet balance.
Post-incident updates in Bisq 1 v1.10.0 capped altcoin trades such as XMR/BTC at a maximum of 0.125 BTC per trade. This limit replaced earlier references to 0.25 BTC or 0.5 BTC and directly constrains position size for privacy-focused buyers.
Offers must also stay within a 25% price deviation from prevailing market rates. The restriction prevents extreme pricing that could exploit low liquidity or create arbitrage opportunities during volatile periods.
Verified data on actual XMR/BTC depth remains limited. Primary Bisq documentation supplies no current figures for active offers or average trade sizes. One third-party snapshot listed roughly $158,940 in 24-hour volume, yet this number lacks confirmation from official sources and cannot be treated as authoritative.
Traders therefore evaluate liquidity only by inspecting live offers inside the Bisq 1 client. Because participation is fully peer-driven, depth can shift quickly and larger orders may require splitting across multiple counterparties or waiting for new makers to appear.
Bisq enforces Tor for all XMR trades on its Bisq 1 protocol, shielding IP addresses from counterparties during multisig escrow exchanges against BTC. A dropped or misconfigured Tor circuit still risks exposing the user’s real IP and linking the session to the trade.
KYC on-ramps for acquiring BTC remain the clearest identity leak. Any exchange account that ties the incoming BTC to verified personal data can connect the entire XMR purchase to the trader regardless of Monero’s later privacy guarantees.
Clearnet access to Bisq nodes or the desktop client outside the Tor bundle can leak metadata about offer posting and trade negotiation. The May 2026 protocol exploit that hit altcoin markets, including XMR, showed how even small configuration slips can amplify exposure when combined with on-chain BTC data.
Monero’s privacy is robust for the XMR portion of the trade, yet it does not make the full transaction untraceable. Because every XMR trade settles against BTC, observers can still analyze the Bitcoin side for patterns if addresses are reused or if the original BTC source carries KYC history.
On Bisq 1, XMR/BTC trades incur a maker fee of 0.15 percent and a taker fee of 1.15 percent when paid in BTC, for a combined 1.3 percent. Paying in BSQ reduces the combined rate to roughly 0.975 percent. A minimum fee of 0.000075 BTC applies to avoid dust.
The May 1, 2026 protocol exploit impacted only altcoin trades including XMR on Bisq 1, resulting in losses of about 11.59 BTC for ten users. Bisq 2 was unaffected. Post-incident updates disabled XMR auto-confirmation, enforced client versions, and introduced stricter validation.
Following the exploit, Bisq 1 reduced the maximum altcoin trade size including XMR/BTC to 0.125 BTC. Offers must also stay within a 25 percent price deviation from market rates.
Yes. Paying fees in BSQ lowers the combined maker-taker rate to approximately 0.975 percent, roughly half the BTC rate, with exact BSQ amounts adjusted each DAO cycle.
A BTC-XMR protocol for Bisq 2 remains in development with no confirmed release date. XMR/BTC markets continue to operate only on the Bisq 1 client.
