Why is Monero (XMR) rising right now?Monero / U. S. DollarKRAKEN:XMRUSDTimofei81827DEWhy is Monero (XMR) rising right now? The situation surrounding Venezuela has created a “perfect storm” for private cryptocurrencies for three reasons: The arrest of Nicolas Maduro and the hunt for assets: After Maduro and his entourage were captured by US forces (early January 2026), US regulators and exchanges began a total audit of all transactions related to Venezuela. In response, those who want to hide the origin of their funds (including state-affiliated structures and the Cartel de los Soles) are switching en masse from transparent Bitcoin to Monero. “Flight to privacy” amid sanctions: New tough sanctions against Latin American financial networks are forcing even legal businesses to look for ways to circumvent the blockades. Monero, which uses ring signatures and hidden addresses, remains the only reliable tool for anonymous transfers. Competitor crisis (Zcash): The crisis in the Zcash ecosystem gave XMR an additional boost. After the departure of the key ZEC development team on January 9, Monero has finally established itself as the “king of privacy coins,” and capital is flowing into it as a more stable asset.