Monero (XMR) has quietly staged one of the most impressive rallies in the cryptocurrency market over the past 12 months gaining more than 150% year-on-year as investors revisit privacy-focused digital assets.
The privacy coin is trading at $344.29 as of May 15, up just over 1% on the day and 17.86% over the past week. While its daily performance appears modest, XMR has seen a steady build-up in momentum since early April, when it bottomed out near $165 during a broader market sell-off triggered by Bitcoin’s (BTC) sharp drop to $75,000.
Momentum accelerated through May, lifting Monero’s monthly gains to 58.97%. Year-to-date, the asset has more than doubled in value, pushing its market capitalization to $6.32 billion and securing the 24th spot among the top 100 cryptocurrencies by market cap.
What’s behind the Monero price rally?
The XMR rally appears to be underpinned by a confluence of factors, including a more favorable regulatory tone toward privacy tools and anticipation surrounding a major technical upgrade.
For instance, the upcoming Full-Chain Membership Proofs (FCMP++) upgrade, expected later in 2025, is being positioned as one of the most substantial improvements to Monero’s privacy infrastructure to date, enhancing the protocol’s resistance to traceability without compromising efficiency.
In addition, speculation around relisting activity from centralized exchanges has further fueled bullish sentiment. Though still unconfirmed, renewed exchange access would mark a significant shift in institutional openness to privacy coins, a sector that has faced regulatory friction in recent years.
With relatively low liquidity and a concentrated holder base, XMR tends to react sharply to new capital inflows, often amplifying price movements compared to larger-cap cryptocurrencies.
In parallel, Monero has also been pulled into headlines following reports of a suspected $330 million Bitcoin theft. While details remain sparse, some analysts suggest the perpetrators may have used privacy-focused tools like XMR to obscure fund flows, adding to short-term demand.
This narrative has driven heightened trading activity and renewed debate around the role of privacy assets in the evolving digital financial landscape.
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