Key Insights
- XMR crypto survived 73 exchange delistings in 2025 and was still trading at $447 with an $8.2 billion market cap at press time.
- Since the privacy technology, once considered radioactive 18 months ago, gained political support from US Congressman Davidson, XMR’s price has increased by 195%.
- XMR is still trading on a parabolic run and trying to push the price for price discovery. Trump’s pardons in Q1 2026 could be bullish for the entire sector.
Privacy coins have been the best-performing crypto sector since the last quarter of 2025, when most tokens struggled. Monero (XMR) has been among them, although Zcash (ZEC) has performed better than it in terms of yearly returns. Even Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) failed to reclaim the highs they had established during the year.
Despite this outperformance, the coins faced significant regulatory scrutiny, with law enforcement tightening its surveillance on them. However, this could be a thing of the past as the US Congress backs the sector. Will this trigger a bullish first quarter of 2026, continuing the existing trend since mid-3Q 2025?
Monero Survives 73 Exchange Delistings
XMR cryptocurrency held up well in terms of its USD valuation despite significant regulatory pressure. For instance, the privacy-focused cryptocurrency survived delistings from exchanges 73 times in 2025.
Despite these issues, the company still had a market capitalization of $8.2 billion, and its stock was trading at $447. This indicated that Monero could maintain its value and liquidity even when centralized platforms ceased to support it. The issue was likely due to these exchanges being concerned about privacy features that conceal transaction details.
These potential delistings showed that anonymous coins were getting more attention. However, XMR crypto’s performance demonstrated a strong decentralized demand and network, even when things went wrong.
US Congress Backs Privacy Coins: Will Q1 2026 Be Bullish for the Sector?
Changes in the law and politics surrounding privacy technologies could accelerate the rally for privacy coins. For instance, the developers of Samourai Wallet received five-year sentences. President Trump was considering granting pardons after Congressman Warren Earl Davidson publicly supported them.
The XMR crypto price increased by more than 195% since last year, as participants’ views had shifted. Privacy tech, which was once seen as risky or “radioactive,” had now gotten “political cover.”
If pardons occur in the first quarter of 2026, the privacy coin market could undergo significant changes. The privacy coin market would shift from its association with criminal liability to its recognition as a constitutional right.
This analysis suggested that there may be bullish momentum, thanks to a reduced fear of regulation and increased legitimacy. As a result, the whole sector could follow, which includes the aforementioned two, Dash (DASH), and others.
However, the outcome remained unclear because debates continued about the balance between privacy and oversight in cryptocurrency. Investors are advised to closely monitor political events to assess their impact on the market.
XMR Price on a Parabolic Run
Looking at XMR crypto price from 2022 to early 2026 showed a bullish, parabolic run that was entering price discovery at press time. The price of Monero was not stable all along. It dropped to about $100 in 2023 before staying between $120 and $320 until mid-2025.
During this period, the $260–$300 zone served as a key resistance zone, acting as a ceiling for years. In the second half of 2025, XMR broke clearly above this zone in terms of rising volume. The price went from $280 to around $500 by the end of the year. This break started the parabolic rise. The price line bent sharply upward, which made this breakout clear.
In January 2026, XMR crypto price was trading around $460. This was a 195% increase from the lows of early 2025, and it was close to the top band near $500. This suggested that there may be more price discoveries to come if the momentum kept going.
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