How to swap Monero to Bitcoin (XMR to BTC), step by step
NoxSwap Team
To swap Monero to Bitcoin, you need XMR that is already unlocked in your wallet, a Bitcoin address you control and, usually, 30 to 60 minutes. On NoxSwap you pick XMR and BTC, see one guaranteed amount of Bitcoin, send the exact Monero amount and receive BTC straight to your wallet, with no account and no registration. Below is the whole process, how long each step really takes and the few details that trip people up, from locked Monero to a Lightning invoice pasted where a Bitcoin address belongs.
XMR to BTC
From Monero to Bitcoin in 3 steps
Typical times. The order page shows every step live.
- 1
Lock in a fixed quote
Pick XMR to BTC, type the amount, paste your BTC address. The Bitcoin you see is what arrives.
No account
- 2
Send the exact XMR
One payment from unlocked XMR in your wallet, within the countdown on the order page.
About 10 minutes to send
- 3
Receive BTC
After Monero confirmations the BTC goes straight to your wallet, then waits for the next Bitcoin block.
Usually 30 to 60 minutes in total
Just received your XMR? Wait until your wallet shows it as unlocked (10 blocks, about 20 minutes) before you start.
Swap XMR to BTCWhat you need before you start
First, a Bitcoin address in a wallet you control. Any regular address works: one starting with bc1, 1 or 3. A Lightning invoice does not, because NoxSwap pays out on the Bitcoin network itself. If you plan to keep the BTC, a hardware wallet or a well-known self-custody app is a safer home than an exchange account.
Second, Monero you can actually send right now. Monero keeps newly received coins locked for 10 blocks, about 20 minutes, before they can be spent. If XMR only just arrived in your wallet, wait until it shows as unlocked before you create the order, otherwise the deposit window may close while you are still waiting.
Third, a Monero refund address. It is optional, but it is where your XMR goes back if the swap can't be completed, so use a fresh subaddress from your own wallet rather than an exchange address.
Step 1: get a fixed quote
On the homepage or the XMR to BTC page, choose XMR as the coin you send and BTC as the coin you receive, then type the amount of Monero. The widget shows one number: the Bitcoin that will arrive, with the exchange fee and network fees already included. There is nothing to add on top and no account to open.
Continue, paste your BTC address and, if you like, the XMR refund address and an e-mail for status updates. After pasting, compare the first and last few characters with the original. Clipboard malware that swaps addresses is a real threat, and a check takes two seconds.
Step 2: send the exact XMR amount
The order page shows the deposit address and the exact amount of XMR, and the rate is locked for the countdown shown there, typically about 10 minutes. Send that amount in one payment from your wallet. Monero wallets add the network fee on top of the amount you type, so typing the quoted figure sends exactly that.
Avoid the send all or sweep option. It takes the network fee out of the amount, so slightly less XMR arrives than the order expects. With a fixed rate, a different amount means the quote no longer applies and the swap is recalculated at the market rate when the deposit arrives, or the XMR is refunded; the order page shows which. Monero needs no memo or payment ID for this deposit.
Step 3: confirmations, then your Bitcoin
Monero blocks come about every two minutes, and the exchange executing the swap waits for several confirmations before exchanging, so the deposit step usually takes 20 to 40 minutes. The order page updates by itself from Waiting for deposit through Confirming, Exchanging and Sending to you.
Once the Bitcoin is sent, it usually shows up in your wallet quickly but stays unconfirmed until the next Bitcoin block, which comes about every 10 minutes on average. The order page then lists the payout transaction with an explorer link. All in all, plan on 30 to 60 minutes from sending XMR to confirmed BTC.
Why an instant swap is the easy route out of XMR
Selling Monero on a big exchange has become hard. Binance delisted XMR in February 2024, and Kraken stopped offering it across the European Economic Area on 31 October 2024. An instant swap skips that: you send XMR from your own wallet and receive BTC in your own wallet, without parking a balance on an exchange account. NoxSwap never holds your funds; each swap is executed by an established exchange.
Swaps need no account, no e-mail and no documents. Large or flagged swaps can occasionally get an AML check by the exchange executing the swap. If that ever happens and you decline it, your XMR comes back without KYC, minus the network fee.
Common mistakes on XMR to BTC
Pasting a Lightning invoice or an exchange's Lightning address into the BTC field is the classic one. Use a regular Bitcoin address. Sending locked XMR is the second: the wallet simply won't send it until it unlocks, and by then the deposit window may be over.
The third is a different amount, usually from the send all option. Your coins are not lost: the swap is recalculated at the current rate or the XMR is refunded. And if anyone messages you first on Telegram claiming to be NoxSwap support, it is not us: we never write first and never ask for a seed phrase.
Frequently asked questions
How long does XMR to BTC take? Usually 30 to 60 minutes from sending XMR to confirmed BTC: 20 to 40 minutes for Monero confirmations, then the Bitcoin payout and its first block.
Is there a minimum? NoxSwap has no minimum of its own. The exchange executing the swap has a small minimum for each pair, and the widget shows it only if your amount is below it.
Can I receive the BTC on Lightning? No. Payouts go out on the regular Bitcoin network, so use a Bitcoin address that starts with bc1, 1 or 3.
Do I need KYC? No: no account, no e-mail, no documents. Large or flagged swaps can occasionally get an AML check, and declining it gets your XMR refunded without KYC, minus the network fee.