The honest answer to where you can buy Monero in 2026 is shorter than it used to be. Binance removed it in February 2024. Coinbase never listed it. Kraken delisted it in several jurisdictions. The centralised exchange options that remain are geographically limited and all require identity verification.
Here is the complete current picture.
Non-custodial instant swap services
The most accessible option for anyone who already holds any other cryptocurrency. These services — Terce, ChangeNOW, SimpleSwap, and others — accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, USDT, and hundreds of other assets and send Monero directly to your wallet. No account. No identity verification. No record retained after settlement. Available globally, no geographic restrictions. This is where most people who need Monero buy it in 2026.
Haveno
A decentralised peer-to-peer exchange built specifically for Monero. Trades between individual users with Monero multisig escrow. Supports fiat payment methods including bank transfers — one of the only remaining ways to go from conventional money to XMR without any KYC at any step. Requires a desktop application and some technical comfort. Available globally. Liquidity is thinner than instant swap services.
Centralised exchanges with Monero listings
KuCoin, Gate.io, and TradeOgre list Monero in some jurisdictions. All require identity verification. KuCoin and Gate.io have faced their own regulatory issues in various markets — verify current availability in your jurisdiction before relying on either. TradeOgre is a smaller exchange with limited fiat support but has maintained Monero listings consistently. All of these are options if KYC is not a concern for your situation.
Mining
Monero can be mined on consumer CPUs using XMRig and P2Pool. The resulting XMR appears directly in your wallet without any exchange interaction. This is the highest-privacy acquisition method — no exchange record exists at any point. Economically viable only with low electricity costs.
For most people in most situations: a non-custodial instant swap from whatever cryptocurrency you already hold. Terce handles Monero in all directions from 340+ assets. No account. No KYC. Rate locked at confirmation. This is where to buy Monero in 2026.