Should You Buy Monero (XMR)? Supply, Demand and Price Drivers (Oct 2026)
Originally published at https://mrnasdog.com/research/xmr (checked Oct 21 2026)
As of Oct 21 2026, Monero scores 6.5/10 on our framework, and its supply-and-demand signal reads mixed.
- Long-run signal: mixed (Oct 21 2026)
- Score: 6.5/10 — supply 3/5, demand 3.5/5
- New supply: +0.21% in 90 days · +0.84% in a year
- Demand: strong (3.5/5)
- Price drivers: 1 ▲ price up · 0 ▼ price down
Where new Monero comes from
Monero pays miners a fixed 0.6 XMR per block forever, about 38.8K new coins every 90 days, and nothing burns or locks any. Supply grows about 0.21% a quarter.
New XMR: +0.21% in 90 days, +0.84% in a year. Supply score 3/5, “light” (place 66 of 101).
Demand today
Monero demand: 3.5/5 (strong), place #18 among 110 coins — interest today plus the buying that could come later.
Extra Monero demand detail for members stays on the live page.
What could move Monero’s price
3 things outside the score can move XMR’s price — today 1 ▲ up, 0 ▼ down.
• Exchange bans
Big exchanges left in 2024; EU ban starts Jul 10 2027.
Good for the price: Exchanges list XMR. Bad for it: More delistings.
| Date | What happened / what is coming |
|---|---|
| Jan 5 2024 | OKX delists XMR |
| Feb 20 2024 | Binance delists XMR |
| Oct 31 2024 | Kraken stops EU trading |
| Jan 12 2026 | Dubai (DIFC) bans XMR |
| Jan 14 2026 | Price record $798 |
| Jul 10 2027 | EU privacy-coin ban (coming) |
Checked Oct 11 2026
▲ Mining attacks
Hashrate at a record 6.52 GH/s; worst attack was Sep 14 2025.
Strong, no attacks → price up · An attack → price down. Now: ▲ up side.
| Date | Network hashrate (7-day avg) |
|---|---|
| Jul 31 2026 | 5.51 GH/s |
| Aug 31 2026 | 5.87 GH/s |
| Sep 30 2026 | 6.17 GH/s |
| Oct 21 2026 | 6.52 GH/s |
Checked Oct 21 2026
• FCMP++ upgrade
Beta tests running since Oct 5 2026; mainnet date not set.
Upgrade ships → price up · Delay or bug → price down.
| Date | What happened / what is coming |
|---|---|
| Apr 27 2024 | FCMP++ plan published |
| Oct 3 2025 | First test network |
| Apr 28 2026 | Beta test network |
| Oct 5 2026 | Beta v3 test fork |
| Oct 8 2026 | Mainnet: no date yet |
Checked Oct 11 2026
Should you buy Monero? The questions, answered
Is it time to buy the Monero dip?
Supply and demand point to a mixed long-run signal for Monero (Oct 21 2026, score 6.5/10). Monero adds +0.21% new supply in 90 days, and demand reads strong (3.5/5). Monero’s price drivers: 1 ▲ price up, 0 ▼ price down.
Monero or Zcash for someone who wants a privacy coin?
Zcash looks a bit stronger by our numbers: 7.5/10 against Monero’s 6.5/10 (Oct 11 2026), mainly on demand (5/5 against 3/5). But Monero adds less new supply, +0.84% a year against +3.86% for Zcash. Both face the EU exchange ban on Jul 10 2027. Supply and demand still read mixed for Monero in the long run.
What has been lifting Monero’s price?
Probably a stronger, safer network. Monero’s hashrate hit a record 6.63 GH/s, and the worst mining attack was back on Sep 14 2025. The FCMP++ upgrade has also been in beta tests since Oct 5 2026, though no mainnet date is set yet. Our supply-and-demand read for Monero stays mixed.
Could Monero ever hit $10,000?
Monero trades near $531 (Oct 21 2026). $10,000 a coin means a $188B market cap, 19 times today’s $10B. Monero’s supply also grows +0.84% in the next year, so every extra coin needs buyers too. Supply and demand still read mixed for Monero in the long run.
Is it time to take profit on Monero?
We would read Monero differently if new supply jumps (today +0.21% in 90 days), or demand falls from strong. Until then Monero’s signal stays mixed. Mark this date for Monero: Jul 10 2027 — EU privacy-coin ban.
Is Monero a good investment right now?
Monero scores 6.5/10 on our framework (Oct 21 2026): supply 3/5 (light), demand 3.5/5. Over the next year Monero’s supply changes +0.84%. The long-run signal is mixed.
How do I know when to buy Monero?
Supply and demand favor Monero most when little new supply is coming, demand is strong and the price drivers point up. Right now Monero has +0.21% new supply in 90 days (light), demand strong (3.5/5), drivers 1 ▲ / 0 ▼.
Will Monero go up in 2026?
Monero’s price drivers today: 1 pointing up, 0 pointing down, out of 3. • Exchange bans: Big exchanges left in 2024; EU ban starts Jul 10 2027. ▲ Mining attacks: Hashrate at a record 6.52 GH/s; worst attack was Sep 14 2025. • FCMP++ upgrade: Beta tests running since Oct 5 2026; mainnet date not set.
Should I buy Monero or Bitcoin?
Monero: mixed signal, 6.5/10 · Bitcoin: positive signal, 8.5/10 (Oct 21 2026). By supply and demand, Monero reads weaker than Bitcoin today.
Where to read the rest of XMR
- XMR supply, line by line: https://mrnasdog.com/research/xmr/inflation
- Where Monero sits among all coins: https://mrnasdog.com/coins
- Why supply and demand decide XMR’s signal: https://mrnasdog.com/research/pressure-framework/full
Every answer here applies basic economic theory — the law of supply and demand — to this coin’s data. It is not financial advice.
Original: https://mrnasdog.com/research/xmr · Data + explanation only. Not financial advice.