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Privacy tools, explained plainly.
Sourced guides to Monero, privacy coins, Tor and PGP: what each one protects, and what it doesn't.
Monero and private payments
Monero
What is Monero (XMR)? A plain-English guide
Monero (XMR) hides who paid whom, and how much, by default. How it works, mining, supply, fees, its limits and how to start safely, with sources.
10 November 2026 · 7 min read
Monero
How private is Monero? What it hides and what it doesn’t
Monero hides the sender, receiver and amount of every payment by default. What it can’t hide, what research has found, and how to stay private.
10 November 2026 · 7 min read
Monero
Monero nodes: local vs remote, and what a remote node can see
A remote node can see your IP address and the transactions you send, but never your keys. How local, remote and pruned nodes compare, and how to choose.
10 November 2026 · 7 min read
Wallets
Monero wallets explained: self-custody, wallet types and backups
A Monero wallet holds your keys, not your coins. How self-custody works, the main wallet types, 25- and 16-word seeds, and how to back up safely.
10 November 2026 · 7 min read
Regulation
Why exchanges delist Monero
Exchanges drop Monero to meet anti-money-laundering rules, not because owning it is banned. A dated, sourced timeline, and where it’s restricted.
10 November 2026 · 6 min read
Privacy coins
Privacy coins explained: how Monero, Zcash and others work
Privacy coins hide who paid whom, and how much. How Monero, Zcash, Dash, Grin and others work, default vs optional privacy, and what they can’t hide.
10 November 2026 · 8 min read
Privacy coins
Monero vs Bitcoin: how their privacy differs
Bitcoin’s ledger is public; Monero hides the sender, receiver and amount by default. Bitcoin’s privacy tools, their limits and the trade-offs, compared.
10 November 2026 · 7 min read
Privacy coins
Monero vs Zcash: how their privacy really differs
Monero makes every payment private by default; Zcash makes privacy optional. How their cryptography, supply, funding and upgrades compare, side by side.
10 November 2026 · 7 min read
Regulation
Is Monero legal? A country-by-country guide for 2026
Owning Monero is legal in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and India, but exchanges restrict it. The rules in each place, compared side by side.
10 November 2026 · 3 min read
Regulation
Is Monero legal in the US? The rules in 2026
Yes, Monero is legal to own and use in the US. What FinCEN, the IRS and New York require, and which exchanges list it, as of November 2026.
10 November 2026 · 5 min read
Regulation
Is Monero legal in the UK? The rules in 2026
Monero is legal to own in the UK, but Kraken won’t let UK clients trade it. FCA rules, HMRC tax, crypto reporting and the 2027 regime, explained.
10 November 2026 · 4 min read
Regulation
Is Monero legal in Canada? The rules in 2026
Monero is legal to own in Canada, but Kraken dropped it in 2025. FINTRAC and securities rules, CRA tax treatment and planned crypto reporting, explained.
10 November 2026 · 5 min read
Regulation
Is Monero legal in Australia? The rules in 2026
Owning Monero is legal in Australia, but Kraken and CoinSpot don’t offer it. What AUSTRAC registration, ATO tax and the 2027 licensing law mean.
10 November 2026 · 4 min read
Regulation
Is Monero legal in India? The rules in 2026
Owning Monero isn’t banned in India, but gains are taxed at 30% and Kraken and Mudrex have dropped privacy coins. The rules as of November 2026.
10 November 2026 · 4 min read
Regulation
Is Monero legal in the EU? What changes in 2027
Owning Monero isn’t banned in the EU. From 10 July 2027, crypto firms can’t keep accounts that allow anonymity-enhancing coins. What MiCA and the AMLR say.
10 November 2026 · 5 min read
Tor and private browsing
Tor
What is Tor Browser? How it works and what it protects
Tor Browser is a modified Firefox that sends your traffic through three volunteer relays. How it works, what it hides, and its limits, in plain English.
10 November 2026 · 8 min read
Tor
Tor on iPhone and Android: what works and what doesn’t
There is no Tor Browser for iPhone, but there is one for Android. What the Tor Project recommends on each phone, how to set it up and what it cannot hide.
10 November 2026 · 7 min read
Law
Is Tor legal? A country-by-country guide for 2026
Using Tor is legal in the US, UK, Germany, India and Australia. In China it’s blocked and legally risky. What each country’s rules say, compared.
10 November 2026 · 3 min read
Law
Is Tor legal in the US? What the law says
Yes. Using Tor is legal in the US, and federal agencies help fund it. What stays illegal, how the FBI has identified Tor users, and the rules for relays.
10 November 2026 · 5 min read
Law
Is Tor legal in the UK? What the law says
Yes. Using Tor is legal in the UK, says the National Crime Agency. What stays illegal, what providers can be made to keep, and the Online Safety Act.
10 November 2026 · 5 min read
Law
Is Tor legal in Germany? What the law says
Yes. Using Tor is legal in Germany, which hosts more of the network than almost anywhere. What § 127 covers, relay operators’ liability, and a police case.
10 November 2026 · 5 min read
Law
Is Tor legal in India? What the law says
Using Tor is legal in India. What CERT-In’s VPN rules say, which networks appear to block Tor, what stays illegal under the IT Act and how bridges help.
10 November 2026 · 5 min read
Law
Is Tor legal in Australia? What the law says
Using Tor is legal in Australia. What the metadata and encryption laws mean for Tor users, how police have taken on Tor sites and what stays illegal.
10 November 2026 · 4 min read
Law
Is Tor legal in China? What the law says
Tor is blocked in China and legally risky to use. What the rules on cross-border connections say, who has been punished and what the Tor Project advises.
10 November 2026 · 5 min read
PGP and OpenPGP
PGP
What is a PGP key? Public keys, key blocks and fingerprints
A PGP key is a pair: a public key you share and a private key you keep. What a public key block holds, how fingerprints work and how to check a key.
10 November 2026 · 8 min read
PGP
How to decrypt (and encrypt) a PGP message safely
To decrypt a PGP message you need your private key and a PGP app on your own device. Steps for Windows, Mac, Linux and phones, plus how to encrypt.
10 November 2026 · 7 min read
PGP
PGP vs GPG: what’s the difference?
PGP is the original encryption program, OpenPGP the open standard and GPG a free program that uses it. How they differ, and when they work together.
10 November 2026 · 6 min read
PGP
How to use Kleopatra to encrypt and decrypt with PGP
Kleopatra is the free PGP key manager in Gpg4win. Step by step: create and back up a key, import and certify keys, then encrypt, decrypt, sign and verify.
10 November 2026 · 8 min read
How we write these guides
- Each guide answers a question people really search for, chosen from search data rather than guesswork.
- Facts come from primary sources, such as the project’s own documentation, the law or the regulator, and every source is listed and numbered.
- We say what a tool protects and what it doesn’t. We never promise complete anonymity, and Mantis features are described as planned until they ship and are independently tested.
- Basit Nasir, Founder and CEO of Mantis Payments, reviews every guide before it’s published.
- When the facts change, we update the guide and its date.