11676

XMR privacy relay fix still under review | No attack on mainnet | I’m waiting for price and access to align

My stance is to watch cautiously, not chase a price move because of a single code request. On November 3, the official Monero repository submitted PR #11676, titled “Preserve the stem phase embargo timeout during repeated relaying.” Looking at the code diff, the original logic reset the wait time before the next broadcast every time a relay was recorded while a transaction was in Dandelion++’s stem phase. The proposal sets that time only if the transaction has not already entered the stem phase, preventing repeated relays from continually resetting the timer. This is a narrowly scoped fix to transaction propagation timing. As of the time of writing, the PR is still Open. Although a collaborator has approved the code, it cannot be described as merged or released, much less used to claim that a major privacy leak has just occurred on mainnet. The latest official release announcement on the Monero website is still for version 0.18.5.4, dated October 16; the two should be kept separate.

Why does this matter for XMR? The Monero website explains that Dandelion++ first propagates transactions along a narrower path, then spreads them across the network, aiming to reduce the risk of linking a transaction to the IP address of its originating node. Repeatedly resetting the stem timeout could affect when a transaction enters wider propagation, but this change does not alter ring signatures, amount hiding, or the supply rules. What’s worth tracking is the review, merge, backport, official release, and node adoption. In the short term, price is still driven mainly by liquidity and trading access.

How has the market reacted so far? At the time of writing, XMR/USD on Kraken was around $643.15, with a 24-hour low of $622.94 and a high of $647.02. The price is near the top of that range, but I can’t attribute the rise to the PR. XMR had no direct upward signal in Binance Square’s six-hour Most Searched list, and there was no relevant label in the trending topics. On the regulatory front, the FATF’s recent targeted review of virtual asset service providers concerns implementation of standards across jurisdictions and did not name XMR in its announcement. Listings, deposits and withdrawals, and trading depth for privacy coins still need to be checked in real time on each platform. Binance’s recent phased-restoration announcements following security incidents likewise do not mean that XMR access has been fully restored. Macroeconomically, the Federal Reserve’s target rate remains 3.75%–4%, and risk assets remain subject to the interest-rate environment.

I’m watching to see whether $647.02 can be broken decisively and whether $622.94 holds. If the price pushes past $647 but immediately retreats, with the hourly close back below $640, there isn’t enough basis to chase the move. If it breaks below $622.94 and a rebound attempt fails, the short-term bullish thesis is invalidated. Even if the PR is merged, that won’t replace these two price checks, nor will it replace verifying exchange access.

If I were trading this myself, I wouldn’t enter right now; I’d only consider a small, unleveraged spot long. I’d place a test trade using no more than 1.5% of total capital only if the hourly close is above $647.20, the price holds near $647 on a retest, and deposits and withdrawals for XMR and order-book conditions are normal on the platform I choose. The first target is $660, where I’d take half off; I’d reduce further near the second target of $675. I’d set a stop below $636 and limit the risk on the trade to about 0.03% of the account. If the breakout fails, access is suspended, or an official source confirms a new risk related to the PR, I’d close early; a break below $622.94 cancels the plan. If these conditions aren’t met, I stay out of the market; that does not count as a trade or profit.

Sources: Monero official PR #11676 and code diff; Monero website’s Dandelion++ explanation and release announcement; Kraken market data; FATF announcement. #XMR

This is only my personal market observation and does not constitute investment advice.

XMR transaction relay draft awaiting merge｜Privacy details matter more than price slogans｜I’m waiting for confirmation at 639

My stance is to keep watching and first see whether the code review actually leads to implementation. On November 3, a PR titled “Keep stem delay when relaying transactions again” appeared in Monero’s official code repository. The page still shows Open, marked as awaiting review and requiring backporting; one reviewer has approved it, but approval is not a merge, much less an indication that all mainnet nodes have upgraded. Comparing the changes, the patch modifies only a small amount of code in files related to the transaction pool: when a transaction already in the stem phase is relayed again, its delay period is not reset, while the delay is still set when it first enters that phase. This is a fix to a network-propagation detail, not the launch of a new anonymity protocol, and it does not mean existing transactions have necessarily exposed their senders.

To understand its value, first distinguish transaction-content privacy from network-origin privacy. As Monero transactions propagate between nodes, they pass through different relay stages. The delay and path arrangement in the stem phase are intended to weaken the simple association that “the first node to broadcast is the originator.” If repeated relaying continually resets the waiting time, the actual propagation time may be unnecessarily delayed, affecting propagation stability. If the change passes as designed and is released, it improves this edge case. It cannot guarantee absolute anonymity for any user, nor does it directly reduce the supply of XMR. The latest official software version currently shown on Monero’s website is still 0.18.5.4, released on October 16; there is no evidence that this November 3 PR has been included in an official release.

The regulatory context should also be described accurately. On October 30, the FATF announced a targeted review of how virtual asset service providers are implementing its standards, emphasizing gaps in implementation across regions; the announcement did not single out XMR or announce a new XMR ban. For XMR holders, what really needs monitoring is local compliance rules and available trading channels—not exaggerating a general review into “privacy coins are about to be banned.” Binance Square’s current trending topics are focused on exchange security and the resumption of withdrawals. XMR does not appear among the top searches over the past six hours, so I won’t attach unrelated trending topics.

The market has rebounded from its intraday low. XMR/USD is currently around $633 on Kraken, with an opening price of $630, an intraday low of $622.94, and a high of about $638.90, which is also the 24-hour high. The price rise and the PR happened on the same day, which is not enough to prove that these few lines of code drove the move; unless the price can break above $639, this remains range-bound trading. First watch $639 and $650 above, and $630 and $623 below. If the price falls below $623 and fails to recover, or if the official review finds that the draft cannot achieve its intended result, my view that the short-term recovery will continue is invalidated. If an official restriction on trading channels is announced, that risk takes priority.

If I were trading myself, I would stay out for now. The only direction I’d consider is a leveraged-free spot long, with the position limited to 2% of total capital. The entry trigger is a one-hour close above $639, followed by a pullback to $635–$639 that holds, with deposits, withdrawals, and quotes functioning normally on available platforms. The first target is $650; I’d take half off there. The second target is $665, where I’d gradually close the rest. The initial stop-loss is below $629. If, after entry, the hourly price falls back below $635 and cannot quickly recover, I’d exit early. I’d also cancel the plan if the code draft is closed or new regulatory risks emerge for trading channels. If the trigger isn’t met, I’ll stay out and won’t describe the plan as a completed trade.

#XMR
The above is only my personal market observation and does not constitute investment advice.

XMR Relay Patch Pending Review | Privacy Boundaries Still Exist at the Node Level | I’m Waiting for Confirmation at $633.10

My stance is to respect the project’s repair process and not chase the price for now. On November 3, Monero’s main repository opened a mempool patch PR #11676 titled “Preserve the stem phase embargo when relaying again.” The page shows that it is still Open, with the labels pending review and needs backport; one reviewer has expressed support, but that does not mean the code has been merged, much less that a new version has been released. The official Monero website still lists 0.18.5.4, released on October 16, as the latest official CLI and GUI versions. The pending patch should not be presented as new protection already available in users’ wallets today.

Why pay attention to a relay detail? Monero’s Dandelion++ transaction propagation first goes through a narrower stem phase, then enters the broader broadcast phase. The proposed change would ensure that a transaction still respects its original time constraint when it is relayed again. If implemented and deployed successfully, it could reduce some observable clues along the propagation path. But the PR title and a single review are not enough to quantify any privacy improvement, nor to claim that the live network is currently exposing all transaction sources. Monero’s official remote-node documentation cautions that Dandelion++ does not protect users from observation by their internet service provider or the node that first receives a transaction. When using a third-party remote node, its operator may also be able to see connection information. Hiding on-chain amounts and protecting IP addresses at the network layer are separate boundaries.

For traders, this is mainly about long-term credibility, not an immediate catalyst for XMR buying. Whether the code is merged, backported to a maintenance branch, adopted by nodes, and how remote nodes are used all matter more than the words “privacy upgrade.” Nor should regulatory developments be casually spun as either positive or negative: FATF recently published a targeted review of how standards for virtual asset service providers are being implemented; that document did not name XMR or announce a new XMR ban. Binance Square’s current trending topics and most-searched terms over the past six hours show no directly related rising XMR tag, so I’m discussing only official project matters and won’t attach unrelated trending topics.

A strong market reaction has not yet been confirmed. At the time of observation, Kraken XMR/USD was around $627.17, below the day’s opening price of $630. The visible high for the day was around $633.10, while the rolling 24-hour high and low were $636.90 and $603.26. Price remains below the previous high, so ordinary fluctuations should not be attributed to this pending patch. I’m watching to see whether the one-hour close can reclaim $633.10, followed by $636.90. If price breaks below the day’s low near $622.94, or the project discloses a more serious privacy flaw, I’ll reconsider my cautiously bullish conditional view. Quotes and support levels should be checked again before placing an order.

If I were trading this myself, I would stay out for now and only prepare a no-leverage spot long. I would enter a small test position using 2% of my total capital only if the one-hour candle closes above $633.10, a retest holds above $630, and there is no new serious security announcement from the project. I’d first look to $642 and sell half, then look to $650 and sell half of the remaining position. I’d use a stop-loss if a one-hour candle closes below $623 after entry. If price first breaks below $622.94 before entry, I’d cancel the plan outright. I’d close the position if the remaining holdings lose $630 again or the patch review reaches a major negative conclusion. This is only a conditional trade plan; it does not mean a trade has been executed or made a profit.

Sources: Monero main repository PR #11676, Monero’s official remote-node documentation, official Monero release announcements, the original FATF publication, Kraken quotes, and Binance Square trending topics. #XMR
This is solely my personal market observation and does not constitute investment advice.