Comparison · facts checked October 18, 2026
BasicSwap and Monero (XMR): atomic swaps vs a swap service
BasicSwap is an open-source desktop app for atomic swaps: you trade XMR with another person, and the two blockchains enforce the swap, with no operator in the middle. SilentXMR is a swap service you use in a browser. Here is what each asks of you.
The short version
- BasicSwap: peer-to-peer atomic swaps, no account and no protocol fee. You run its desktop client with coin wallets and nodes, and take or make offers. XMR pairs with BTC, LTC and a few other coins.
- SilentXMR: a swap in your browser, from BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC or SOL. Kraken's last price minus 0.5%, locked for 30 minutes. Payouts are sent by hand.
- Pick BasicSwap if you want swaps settled on-chain between two people and can run the software. Pick SilentXMR to swap from a phone or browser in a few steps, including from ETH, USDT, USDC or SOL.
Order
Send exactly
on the network to:
- You get (quoted)
- Rate
- Quote valid
- Your address
- Payout transaction
- Created
- Send the exact amount above from your wallet.
- We check the deposit wallet, and once your deposit confirms we send the amount quoted above to your address, even if the price has moved since. The quote holds for deposits sent within 30 minutes; a deposit sent later gets the market rate when it is processed.
- This page updates by itself. Keep your order ID to check later on the Track order page.
Questions? Email service@silentxmr.com with your order ID.
What BasicSwap is
BasicSwap describes itself as a desktop app for non-custodial cross-chain atomic swaps with a distributed order book. Its terms say the contributors are not a company, operator or custodian, and the code is open source under the MIT licence. The latest release on GitHub was v0.19.0, published on 3 October 2026. It runs on Linux, on macOS from source, and on Windows through WSL2 or Docker; its install docs call it beta software, while its FAQ says it is live on mainnet.
Offers are spread over encrypted peer-to-peer messaging rather than a central server, and you take an offer or post your own at your own price. Its desktop page shows XMR pairing with BTC, LTC, BCH, DCR, NMC and PART. BTC/XMR swaps use adaptor signatures: the two sides lock coins on both chains, and completing one side reveals what the other needs to claim theirs. On 18 October 2026 its public markets feed showed 87 open XMR offers, mostly against BTC and LTC.
There is no protocol fee; you pay only network fees. You need the BasicSwap client plus a wallet for each coin you swap, and a Particl Core node is always required. Its docs say a full Monero node needs about 200 GB or more and Bitcoin hundreds of GB; light modes for BTC, LTC and XMR rely on remote servers. The FAQ says a swap usually takes tens of minutes, and your client must stay online for the whole swap. If a swap stalls, a presigned refund opens after a timelock, 48 hours by default; its protocol page notes the other side can take the refund if you never claim it.
SilentXMR vs BasicSwap
Facts about BasicSwap come from its own website, documents and announcements, checked on October 18, 2026. "Not published" means we could not find it stated there.
| Feature | SilentXMR | BasicSwap |
|---|---|---|
| Type of service | A single swap service for Monero. Every swap starts or ends in XMR. | Open-source desktop app for peer-to-peer atomic swaps. You trade with another person. |
| Monero (XMR) | Yes, on every pair, in both directions. | Yes, in both directions, against BTC, LTC, BCH, DCR, NMC and PART. |
| Coins and networks | BTC, ETH, LTC, SOL, USDT (ERC-20, TRC-20, SPL) and USDC (ERC-20, SPL), each to and from XMR. | 12 coins in its README (BTC, XMR, LTC, BCH, DASH, DOGE, FIRO, PIVX, DCR, WOW, PART, NMC). |
| Account | None. | None. "No signup, no email" (FAQ). |
| ID checks (KYC) | No name, email address or ID requested. | None. Its terms say it does not require, collect or verify identity information. |
| Fees and pricing | Kraken's last price minus a 0.5% spread, shown before you send. You receive the quoted amount. | No protocol fee; network fees only. The price is set by the offer. |
| Minimum and maximum | $50 worth. Above $50,000, contact support first. | Set by each offer. |
| Rate | Locked for 30 minutes from when you create the order. Deposits sent in that time get the quoted amount, whatever the market does. | The agreed rate is fixed once the swap starts. Offers expire at a time the maker sets. |
| Who holds the coins during the swap | You send to the deposit address on your order and we send the payout to your address. You trust SilentXMR between the two. | Your own wallets; coins are locked on-chain during the swap and refundable after a timelock. |
| Fiat (bank, card, cash) | No. Crypto to crypto only. | None. Crypto to crypto only. |
| How you receive the coins | Deposits are checked and payouts sent by hand after your deposit confirms. Follow it with your order ID. | Settled on-chain by the swap protocol, usually in tens of minutes, while your client stays online. |
| What you need | A browser and the wallet you send from. | The BasicSwap client, a wallet for each coin, a Particl Core node, and full nodes or remote servers (a full Monero node is about 200 GB or more). |
Ready to swap? Lock your XMR rate now.
- Kraken's live price minus 0.5%. You see exactly what you get before you send.
- Your rate is locked for 30 minutes from the moment you create the order. Send in time and the amount is yours.
- BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC or SOL in, XMR out to your address. Or the other way round.
When BasicSwap may suit you better
- You want swaps settled on-chain between two people, with no operator and no protocol fee.
- You already run, or are happy to run, coin nodes and a desktop client that stays online during the swap.
- You trade XMR against BTC or LTC and want to set your own price with an offer.
When SilentXMR may suit you better
- You want to swap from a browser or phone, without installing software or syncing nodes.
- You hold ETH, USDT, USDC or SOL, which BasicSwap does not pair with XMR.
- You want a quote you can see right away: Kraken's last price minus 0.5%, locked for 30 minutes, without waiting for a counterparty.
Swapping to XMR on SilentXMR instead
Choose the coin you send, enter your Monero address and create the order. You see the amount of XMR you will get, based on Kraken's last price minus 0.5%, and it is locked for 30 minutes. Send the exact amount to the deposit address shown within that time.
Payouts are sent by hand once your deposit confirms. There is no client to keep online; keep your order ID to follow the swap.
Pick a coin and amount
The estimate updates from Kraken's live price as you type.
Add your receiving address
For XMR, paste the receive address from Feather, Cake or any Monero wallet.
Send and track
Send to the deposit address on your order. Your order page shows when we've received it and when your coins are on their way.
Swap pairs
Get Monero in your own wallet. No account, no ID.
- Kraken's live price minus 0.5%. You see exactly what you get before you send.
- Your rate is locked for 30 minutes from the moment you create the order. Send in time and the amount is yours.
- BTC, ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC or SOL in, XMR out to your address. Or the other way round.
Questions
What is BasicSwap?
An open-source desktop app for atomic swaps between people, with a distributed order book. Its terms say there is no company or operator behind it.
Can I swap BTC to XMR on BasicSwap?
Yes. BTC/XMR is its most common XMR pair: 53 of the 87 XMR offers in its markets feed on 18 October 2026 were BTC to XMR or XMR to BTC.
What fees does BasicSwap charge?
No protocol fee. You pay the network fees of the coins you move, and the price is set by the offer you take.
Do I need to run a full node for BasicSwap?
A Particl Core node is always required. BTC, LTC and XMR can use light modes that rely on remote servers; other coins need full nodes. A full Monero node takes about 200 GB or more.
How long does a BasicSwap swap take?
Its FAQ says usually tens of minutes, and your client has to stay online for the whole swap. A stalled swap can be refunded after a timelock, 48 hours by default.
Can I swap ETH or USDT to XMR on BasicSwap?
No, those coins don't pair with XMR there. On SilentXMR you can swap ETH, USDT, USDC, SOL, LTC or BTC to XMR without an account. Questions go to service@silentxmr.com.
Sources
The BasicSwap pages we checked on October 18, 2026. Services change their terms, so check the current version before you rely on a detail.
- BasicSwap: FAQ basicswapdex.com/faq
- BasicSwap: protocol basicswapdex.com/protocol
- BasicSwap: desktop app and pairs basicswapdex.com/desktop
- BasicSwap: terms (v1.0, 13 May 2026) basicswapdex.com/terms
- BasicSwap docs: install docs.basicswapdex.com/docs/user-guides/install
- BasicSwap docs: lightweight modes docs.basicswapdex.com/docs/user-guides/lightweight-modes
- BasicSwap on GitHub: releases github.com/basicswap/basicswap/releases
- BasicSwap markets feed markets.basicswapdex.com/orderbook.json
SilentXMR is not affiliated with BasicSwap. Its name is used only to identify the service being compared.