When LocalMonero closed in May 2024, it left a real gap for European XMR↔EUR traders. A lot of people moved to AgoraDesk before that also shut down in November 2024. Now the question is: where is P2P actually happening?

Active platforms right now

Haveno-based DEXes (non-custodial, multisig escrow):

  • RetosSwap — the dominant Haveno instance, ~$2M/month volume, 15% security deposit, 0.6% fees. Arbitration through RoundTheRoses (established, 24-48h response).
  • DawnSwap — newer, 5% deposit (lower capital lockup), ~2% fees, faster 24/7 arbitration. Fewer offers but growing fast.

Both use 2-of-3 multisig: both parties deposit, funds only release when both agree or an arbitrator decides. Neither party can rug.

Classifieds/Marketplace:

  • XMRBazaar — zero fees, 7,000+ users, classifieds model (you negotiate directly, then use Haveno or XMRBazaar’s own multisig for the actual swap). Good for finding counterparties without platform fees.
  • OpenMonero — 0% fees, accessible via Tor .onion, privacy-first. Launched after LocalMonero closed. Still smaller community but growing.

Payment methods still working in EU

  • Cash by Mail — physical EUR sent via postal service. Lower friction than bank transfers. Works for most EU countries. Some traders use registered mail for larger amounts.
  • Face-to-Face — cities with active traders: Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Amsterdam, Vienna, Zurich. Less common but highest liquidity for large amounts.
  • SEPA/Bank transfer — higher traceability but some traders still do it with established counterparties.

Where to find traders

The biggest active channels: RetosSwap/DawnSwap orderbooks directly, XMRBazaar listings, and Telegram groups like @monero (general) and @moneromarket.

For reference on experience level: I was previously chingchongfalung on LocalMonero/AgoraDesk (683 trades, 454 partners, 100% feedback — archived: web.archive.org/web/20240421/https://agoradesk.com/user/chingchongfalung). Now trading as arnoldnakamura — Cash by Mail (EU-wide) and F2F in SW Germany, contact via Telegram @arnoldnakamura.

Happy to answer questions about how any of these platforms actually work in practice.