Monero's security model relies on block confirmations to guarantee transaction finality. While 10 confirmations were historically enough, the unprecedented market activity of January 2026 forced us to raise the security threshold.

All Monero (XMR) transactions now require a minimum of 25 confirmations. This change is a direct response to the extreme volatility and specific network load observed in January 2026.

What happened in January 2026?

The Monero network went through a period of high intensity due to several factors:

  • Massive capital inflow (the $282M incident): following a major security breach on January 10, more than $282 million in stolen BTC and LTC began flowing into the Monero ecosystem. This sudden surge in volume placed significant strain on liquidity providers and network nodes.
  • All-time-high volatility: on January 14, XMR reached an all-time high (ATH) of $798, followed by a sharp 28% correction. Such rapid price swings raise the risk of chain splits and double-spend attempts.
  • Regulatory changes: the recent ban on privacy-enhancing tokens introduced by Dubai's VARA regulator (effective January 12) triggered a redistribution of global XMR liquidity, making a higher confirmation count necessary to guarantee transaction finality across regions.

Historical and technical risks

Beyond current market events, we maintain elevated confirmation requirements because of structural risks:

  • Deep chain reorganizations (reorgs): concerns raised by the 18-block reorg in late 2025 remain a key reason for caution. A reorg of that depth can invalidate "confirmed" transactions; the 25-block rule ensures your funds cannot be rolled back.
  • Hashrate concentration: amid reports of significant hashrate fluctuations, the 25-block threshold creates a "buffer" that makes reversing a transaction economically and technically impractical for any network participant.

The path forward: Seraphis and FCMP++

The Monero community is actively working on long-term solutions. The upcoming Seraphis upgrade (currently being tested on Stressnet) will increase anonymity set sizes from 16 to 128 and beyond, and will introduce Jamtis addresses. This will significantly improve the network's resilience to hashrate swings like those seen in January 2026.

What this means for you

  • Estimated wait time: an XMR swap or deposit may take between 45 and 75 minutes.
  • Safety first: we do not "fast-track" XMR transactions, because your financial security is our priority. A transaction is considered final only once it is buried deep enough in the blockchain.
  • No extra action needed: your wallet syncs as usual. As soon as the 25th block is mined, our system automatically completes the swap.