Haveno is free, open-source software for trading Monero person to person. Buyers and sellers find each other in a shared order book, the XMR is locked in a multisig wallet until the payment arrives, and no company ever holds your money or asks for ID. It runs entirely over Tor and is based on the design of Bisq, the older Bitcoin P2P exchange.
This guide explains how it works, where to download it and the catches to know before your first trade. We run Superswap.cx, an instant swap service that also pays out XMR. Facts come from the Haveno and RetoSwap websites, their GitHub repositories and kycnot.me, checked on October 16, 2026.
| Item | Haveno |
|---|---|
| What it is | Non-custodial P2P exchange software, Monero on one side of every trade |
| License | Open source (AGPL-3.0), developed by the community with XMR bounties |
| Where you use it | Through a public network. RetoSwap is the main one |
| Trades against | BTC, LTC, BCH, ETH, USDT (ERC-20 and TRC-20) and more, plus fiat: SEPA, ACH, PayPal, Cash App, cash by mail or in person |
| Security deposit | 15% minimum per side (up to 50%), locked in XMR |
| Minimum trade | 0.05 XMR |
| Apps | Windows, macOS, Linux, Tails; Android via the RetoSwap app |
| ID checks | Never. kycnot.me rates Haveno 10/10 and RetoSwap 9/10 |
This confuses most people. The official Haveno project only runs a test network and does not support real trades itself. Anyone can run a real network on the software, with their own arbitrators and fees. So to trade, you install a network's build of Haveno.
RetoSwap (called Haveno-reto until November 2024) is by far the largest public network and the one most people mean by "Haveno". It follows the official Haveno releases closely: version 1.10.0 came out on October 10, 2026. Smaller networks exist, but we could not confirm any of them is reliably active, so this guide uses RetoSwap. Our RetoSwap review covers its fees, track record and the 2026 exploits in detail.
Haveno's security deposits are paid in Monero. To buy 1 XMR with euros, you normally have to lock at least 0.15 XMR of your own first. If you are buying Monero because you have none, that is a problem.
There are two ways round it:
| Fee | RetoSwap (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Maker (you post the offer) | 0.1% |
| Taker (you take an offer) | 0.8% on crypto trades, 2% on fiat trades |
| Security deposit | 15% or more, returned after the trade |
| Network fees | Normal Monero fees for the multisig deposit and payout |
Trading fees only began in January 2026. Fiat sellers usually also price their XMR above market, so compare the final price, not just the fee.
gpg --verify, then check your download's hash with sha512sum.The design is sound: nobody holds your funds, and the code is public. But 2026 showed the arbitration layer is a real attack surface. On May 20 an attacker drained about 7,000 XMR by faking an arbitrator during multisig setup. In mid-June, a second attack abused forced arbitration on large crypto offers. Both were patched, and RetoSwap was trading again from June 20, 2026.
Sensible precautions: run the latest release, start with small trades, prefer offers from sellers with a trade history, and keep within the dispute deadlines.
| Haveno (RetoSwap) | Superswap.cx | |
|---|---|---|
| Pay with | Cash, bank, PayPal or crypto | Crypto only |
| Setup | Desktop or Android app, Tor, funded XMR wallet | Web page, no account |
| Deposit needed | 15%+ in XMR | None |
| Counterparty | Another trader + arbitrator | One service, locked quote |
| Speed | Hours, depending on the offer and payment method | 5–30 min |
| ID checks | Never | Never asked |
Haveno is one of the few ways to turn bank money or cash into Monero without ID. If you already hold BTC, ETH or USDT, an instant swap gets you there with no app, no deposit and no waiting for a counterparty.
Haveno is open-source software for trading Monero peer to peer without KYC. Trades are secured by a 2-of-3 multisig wallet shared by the buyer, the seller and an arbitrator, and everything runs over Tor.
No. Haveno is the software; RetoSwap is the largest public network running it. The official Haveno project only runs a test network, so to trade real XMR you install a network's build, usually RetoSwap.
No. Neither Haveno nor RetoSwap asks for ID. kycnot.me rates Haveno 10/10 and RetoSwap 9/10 with KYC level 0.
Usually yes, because the security deposit (15% or more) is paid in XMR. You can look for a no-deposit offer, or swap a little LTC or BTC to XMR for the deposit, which you get back after the trade.
Yes, through the RetoSwap Android app (v1.0.8-reto as of June 2026). The desktop app runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and Tails.
It is non-custodial and open source, but the RetoSwap network suffered two exploits in 2026 (May and June), both patched. Use the latest version, start small, and trade with experienced counterparties.
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