Is Monero mining profitable in 2026?

It depends on your electricity cost and hardware. A modern CPU (AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, ~14,000 H/s) mines approximately 0.003-0.005 XMR per day. At $180/XMR, that's $0.54-0.90/day. With electricity at $0.10/kWh and 65W TDP, the power cost is ~$0.16/day — profitable. At $0.30/kWh (Germany), it's ~$0.47/day — marginal or break-even. Mining is most profitable when: (1) you have cheap/free electricity, (2) you already own the hardware, (3) you value the privacy of earning XMR without any KYC. Many miners don't mine for profit — they mine to acquire XMR privately.

What hardware do I need to mine Monero?

Any modern CPU. Monero uses the RandomX algorithm, specifically designed for CPUs (not GPUs or ASICs). Best performers: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (~20,000 H/s), AMD Ryzen 7 7700X (~14,000 H/s), Intel Core i7-13700K (~10,000 H/s). Even a laptop CPU works, though not recommended long-term (heat). You need at least 2 GB RAM for RandomX. GPU mining is possible but inefficient — CPU is king for Monero. ASIC miners do NOT work with Monero (RandomX is ASIC-resistant by design).

What is P2Pool and why should I use it?

P2Pool is a decentralized mining pool. Unlike traditional pools (which have a central operator who controls payouts), P2Pool has no central authority. Benefits: (1) Trustless — no pool operator can steal your earnings. (2) No fees (or minimal — some implementations charge 0-1%). (3) Direct payouts to your wallet. (4) Strengthens Monero decentralization. P2Pool has two chains: Main (for hashrate >10 kH/s) and Mini (for <10 kH/s). Most home miners should use P2Pool Mini. Setup requires running a local Monero node.

How do I sell mined Monero for cash?

Mined XMR is the most private form of Monero — it was never bought from an exchange, never linked to any identity. Selling options: (1) P2P trading — arnoldnakamura offers Cash by Mail (EU-wide) and Face-to-Face (SW Germany) at 10% over market. 683 trades, 100% feedback. (2) Haveno (RetoSwap/DawnSwap) — decentralized P2P exchange with escrow. (3) Atomic swaps — swap XMR for BTC, then sell BTC. All options are KYC-free. Note: In Germany, mining income is taxed as Gewerbeeinkünfte (business income), not under § 23 EStG.

Can I mine Monero on my existing computer?

Yes. XMRig runs as a background process on Windows, macOS, or Linux. You can mine while using your computer for other tasks — just allocate fewer CPU threads to mining. Typical setup: dedicate 50-75% of CPU threads to mining, keep the rest for daily use. Performance impact is noticeable but manageable. For 24/7 mining without impacting your main machine, consider a dedicated cheap PC (used office desktop, ~$50-100) running Linux.

Monero Mining Guide (2026)

Q: How do I sell mined Monero for cash?

Mined XMR is the most private form of Monero — it was never bought from an exchange, never linked to any identity. Selling options: (1) P2P trading — arnoldnakamura offers Cash by Mail (EU-wide) and Face-to-Face (SW Germany) at 10% over market. 683 trades, 100% feedback. (2) Haveno (RetoSwap/DawnSwap) — decentralized P2P exchange with escrow. (3) Atomic swaps — swap XMR for BTC, then sell BTC. All options are KYC-free. Note: In Germany, mining income is taxed as Gewerbeeinkünfte (business income), not under § 23 EStG.

Q: Can I mine Monero on my existing computer?

Yes. XMRig runs as a background process on Windows, macOS, or Linux. You can mine while using your computer for other tasks — just allocate fewer CPU threads to mining. Typical setup: dedicate 50-75% of CPU threads to mining, keep the rest for daily use. Performance impact is noticeable but manageable. For 24/7 mining without impacting your main machine, consider a dedicated cheap PC (used office desktop, ~$50-100) running Linux.

Mine XMR with your CPU — P2Pool, XMRig, profitability, and selling mined coins

TL;DR: Monero is the only major cryptocurrency you can mine profitably with a regular CPU. Use XMRig + P2Pool Mini for decentralized, trustless mining. AMD Ryzen 7 mines ~0.003-0.005 XMR/day. Profitable at <$0.15/kWh electricity. Sell mined XMR for cash via Cash by Mail or face-to-face — no KYC ever.

Why Mine Monero?

1. CPU-friendly. RandomX algorithm is designed for CPUs. No expensive GPU rigs. No ASICs. Your existing computer works.

2. Maximum privacy. Mined XMR has no purchase history, no exchange link, no KYC trail. It’s the purest form of Monero.

3. Support the network. Every miner strengthens Monero’s decentralization and security.

4. Passive income. Set it up once, earn XMR 24/7 while your computer runs.

Hardware Performance

CPU	Hashrate	Power	~XMR/day	$/day (at $180)
AMD Ryzen 9 7950X	~20,000 H/s	170W	~0.007	$1.26
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X	~14,000 H/s	105W	~0.005	$0.90
AMD Ryzen 5 5600X	~8,500 H/s	65W	~0.003	$0.54
Intel i7-13700K	~10,000 H/s	125W	~0.0035	$0.63
Intel i5-12400	~5,500 H/s	65W	~0.002	$0.36
Laptop (Ryzen 5 5500U)	~4,000 H/s	25W	~0.0014	$0.25

Electricity cost matters most. At $0.10/kWh, a 100W system costs $0.24/day. At $0.30/kWh (Germany), it’s $0.72/day — only profitable with high-end CPUs.

Quick Start: P2Pool + XMRig

Step 1: Install the Monero daemon (monerod) and sync the blockchain (~180 GB). Or use a remote node for P2Pool Mini.

Step 2: Download P2Pool. Start with: ./p2pool --host 127.0.0.1 --wallet YOUR_ADDRESS --mini

Step 3: Download XMRig. Start with: ./xmrig -o 127.0.0.1:3333

Step 4: XMRig connects to your local P2Pool, which connects to the Monero network. Payouts go directly to your wallet — no pool operator, no fees, no trust.

P2Pool Mini is for hashrates under ~10 kH/s (most home miners). More frequent payouts than the main P2Pool chain.

Mining Pools Compared

Pool Type	Trust	Fees	Decentralized	Best For
P2Pool Mini	Trustless	0%	Yes	Home miners (<10 kH/s)
P2Pool Main	Trustless	0%	Yes	Larger setups (>10 kH/s)
Traditional pools	Trust operator	1-2%	No	Beginners, consistent payouts
Solo mining	Trustless	0%	Yes	Very high hashrate only

Selling Mined XMR

Mined Monero is the most private XMR possible — coinbase transactions with zero purchase history. Selling options:

1. Cash by Mail — Send XMR, receive EUR cash in a registered letter. EU-wide.

2. Face-to-Face — Meet in person in SW Germany. Cash for XMR, instant.

3. Haveno — Decentralized P2P exchange with escrow.

4. Atomic Swaps — Trade XMR for BTC trustlessly, then sell BTC.

arnoldnakamura buys mined XMR at 10% over market price. Telegram

Tax Note (Germany)

Mining income in Germany is taxed as Gewerbeeinkünfte (business income), NOT under § 23 EStG. Gewerbesteuer applies above 24,500 EUR/year. Keep records of mined amounts, dates, and EUR value at time of mining. See: Steuer-Guide

Mine, Hold, or Sell

Mining Monero is the most private way to acquire XMR. No exchange, no KYC, no trace. Even if mining isn’t hugely profitable at your electricity rate, the privacy premium is worth it.

Ready to sell your mined XMR for cash? arnoldnakamura — 683 trades, 454 partners, 100% feedback. Cash by Mail (EU) or F2F (SW Germany). Telegram