CPU mining with XMRig, P2Pool setup, profitability analysis, and how to sell your mined XMR for cash without KYC. The most private way to acquire Monero.
Monero mining is unique in cryptocurrency. While Bitcoin requires warehouse-sized operations with specialized ASIC machines, Monero can be mined on any regular computer. This is by design.
Mining is the most private way to acquire any cryptocurrency. You create fresh XMR from nothing — no exchange, no counterparty, no KYC, no transaction history. The coins appear in your wallet with zero connection to any identity. Combined with P2Pool (decentralized, no registration), mining gives you Monero that is maximally private from creation.
| Aspect | Mining | Buying (P2P) | Buying (Exchange) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Privacy | Maximum (self-created) | High (cash, no KYC) | Low (KYC required) |
| Speed | Slow (days-weeks for meaningful amounts) | Fast (minutes-hours) | Fast (minutes) |
| Cost | Electricity only | Market + premium | Market + fees |
| Counterparty | None | The trader | The exchange |
| KYC | None | None (P2P cash) | Full identity |
Monero uses RandomX, a proof-of-work algorithm purpose-built for CPUs. It was activated in November 2019 and is designed to:
Bitcoin mining is controlled by a handful of industrial operations in China, Texas, and Iceland. You need a $2,000+ ASIC that does nothing except mine. Monero mining runs on the computer you already own — the same one you browse the web and write emails on. This keeps the network truly decentralized.
Use --mini if your hashrate is under 10,000 H/s (most desktop CPUs). Remove --mini for high-hashrate rigs.
XMRig auto-detects your CPU and optimizes thread count. Your hashrate will stabilize within 30–60 seconds.
./xmrig --print-platforms to check hardware detection.| CPU | Hashrate (H/s) | Power (W) | Daily XMR* |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMD Ryzen 9 7950X | ~20,000 | ~170W | ~0.006 |
| AMD Ryzen 7 7700X | ~13,000 | ~105W | ~0.004 |
| AMD Ryzen 5 5600X | ~8,500 | ~65W | ~0.0025 |
| AMD EPYC 7742 | ~44,000 | ~225W | ~0.013 |
| Intel i7-13700K | ~10,500 | ~125W | ~0.003 |
| Intel i5-12400 | ~6,500 | ~65W | ~0.002 |
| Apple M2 Pro | ~5,500 | ~30W | ~0.0016 |
*Approximate at network hashrate ~3 GH/s and XMR price ~$300. Values fluctuate with difficulty.
If you’re mining Monero purely for profit, you need cheap electricity (<$0.10/kWh). At typical residential rates ($0.15–0.30/kWh), most CPUs break even or lose money. But profit isn’t the only reason to mine:
Use this rough formula:
Example: Ryzen 7 7700X (13,000 H/s) at $0.10/kWh and $300/XMR:
| Feature | P2Pool | Traditional Pool | Solo Mining |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fees | 0% | 1–3% | 0% |
| Decentralized | Yes | No (pool operator) | Yes |
| KYC/Registration | None | Usually none | None |
| Payout | Direct to wallet | Pool holds funds | Direct to wallet |
| Min Hashrate | ~1,000 H/s (mini chain) | Any | Very high needed |
| Payout Frequency | Every block share found | Varies (PPLNS, PPS) | Very rare |
| Censorship Risk | None | Pool can censor TX | None |
Recommendation: Use P2Pool. Zero fees, no registration, decentralized, and payouts go directly to your wallet. The Monero community strongly recommends P2Pool over traditional pools. If your hashrate is under 10,000 H/s, use P2Pool mini.
Unlike Bitcoin (which halves rewards until they reach zero around 2140), Monero has tail emission: a permanent reward of 0.6 XMR per block (~every 2 minutes). This means:
Once you’ve mined some Monero, you might want to convert it to fiat. The most private options:
I buy XMR for EUR via cash by mail (EU-wide) and face-to-face (SW Germany: Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Freiburg, Strasbourg). 683 trades, 454 partners, 100% feedback. Escrow available via Haveno.
sudo sysctl -w vm.nr_hugepages=1280. Windows: Run XMRig as Administrator.--randomx-1gb-pages.Yes. Monero’s RandomX algorithm is designed for CPUs. Any modern processor (AMD Ryzen, Intel Core) works. GPU and ASIC mining are intentionally inefficient.
With electricity under $0.10/kWh and a modern CPU, yes. At $0.15+/kWh, most CPUs break even. Many miners value the KYC-free acquisition more than raw profit.
A decentralized mining pool with zero fees, no registration, and direct wallet payouts. Two chains: main (>10K H/s) and mini (<10K H/s). The recommended way to mine Monero.
P2P cash trades (Haveno, XMRBazaar, OpenMonero), no-KYC exchanges (Trocador), or spend directly with Monero-accepting vendors. See: How to Sell Monero for Cash.
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (~20K H/s), Ryzen 7 7700X (~13K H/s), or Ryzen 5 5600X (~8.5K H/s). AMD dominates due to large L3 cache. EPYC/Threadripper for serious operations.
Monero mining uses regular CPUs (65–170W) vs Bitcoin ASICs (3,000–3,500W). Network power is estimated at 1–5 MW vs Bitcoin’s 10,000+ MW. Far more efficient.