Monero (XMR) has more than doubled in value since the early April crypto sell-off, defying the broader market slowdown and emerging as one of the top-performing digital assets in recent weeks.
While Bitcoin (BTC) has stalled above the $100,000 mark—cooling momentum across many altcoins—Monero continues to climb. The privacy-focused cryptocurrency is up 4.6% this week, trading at $347, with a 2% gain in the past 24 hours, according to CoinDesk data. Over the same period, Bitcoin has declined 1.6%, extending its weekly drop to 2%.
XMR’s remarkable recovery—rising 110% from its April low of $165—has been backed by strong technical signals. A bullish “golden cross” pattern emerged on its chart roughly a month ago, foreshadowing the sustained upside move.
Analysts say Monero’s outperformance is tied to a combination of regulatory tailwinds, upcoming technological upgrades, and renewed interest in privacy amid a shifting macro environment.
“Regulatory sentiment in the U.S. has become more favorable with the advancement of the FIT21 crypto legislation and growing ambiguity from the SEC around the classification of privacy tokens,” researchers at HTX told CoinDesk. “This has helped ease concerns around privacy coin regulation and has triggered cautious capital inflows into Monero.”
Investor enthusiasm is also building around Monero’s upcoming FCMP++ upgrade, which is set to roll out later this year. The enhancement will significantly improve privacy protections and quantum resistance by replacing ring signatures with full-chain membership proofs.
“FCMP++ introduces forward secrecy, meaning that even if quantum computers eventually break current cryptographic methods, past Monero transactions will remain private,” explained Monero community member @DatCryptoPiggie on X (formerly Twitter).
To put it in simpler terms, it’s like upgrading from a traditional diary lock to a state-of-the-art smart lock that not only secures future entries but also ensures that even if someone cracks the lock in the future, they still can’t read past pages.
Adding to the bullish momentum are rumors that major crypto exchanges are considering relisting privacy coins like XMR—a move that could significantly boost demand.
“Because privacy coins typically have lower liquidity and more concentrated ownership, they tend to show sharper price reactions when capital flows in,” HTX noted.
Lastly, speculation has swirled around a recent high-profile BTC theft involving $330 million in stolen funds, with some suggesting Monero may have played a role in the laundering process. While unconfirmed, such associations often reinforce Monero’s value proposition as a privacy shield—fueling further interest.
