Quai vs Monero
Monero does one job: private payments. Quai is a full proof-of-work platform, with 5-second blocks, an EVM for applications, and two tokens. Quai also burns supply through SOAP, while Monero adds 0.6 XMR in every block for all time.
Facts reviewed in November 2026.
Where Quai is stronger
Applications, not only payments
Monero does not run smart contracts. Quai runs the EVM, so tokens, exchanges, and applications run on the same chain that miners secure.
Blocks 24 times faster
A Quai block arrives about every 5 seconds. A Monero block arrives about every 2 minutes.
Lower supply growth, plus a burn
In its third year, QUAI supply is projected to grow 8.3%. Monero's supply grew 23.7% at the same age. SOAP buybacks also burn QUAI, and Monero has no burn.
Cash that follows energy
Quai's second token, Qi, is cash on a UTXO ledger whose supply follows mining difficulty and the cost of energy.
Other chains pay for the burn
Through SOAP, miners of Bitcoin Cash, Litecoin, Dogecoin, and Ravencoin also mine Quai. The rewards from the blocks they find buy QUAI on the open market, and that QUAI is burned. No other network has this.
At a glance
| Property | Quai (QUAI) | Monero (XMR) |
|---|---|---|
| Consensus | Proof of work, with PoEM consensus | Proof of work, longest chain by total work |
| Secured by | Miners with SHA-256, Scrypt, or KawPoW hardware | Miners with ordinary processors (RandomX) |
| Block time | About 5 seconds | About 2 minutes |
| Smart contracts | Yes. The EVM runs on the base layer. | No smart contracts |
| Supply | Emission slows as the network grows, and SOAP buybacks burn QUAI. 1.9 billion genesis QUAI was burned. | No cap. A tail emission of 0.6 XMR per block continues for all time. |
| Launched | February 2025 | April 2014 |
| Supply growth, year 3 | 8.3% (projected) | 23.7% |
| Revenue, 12 months | $6.0M | None. Fees and block rewards go to miners. |
Revenue is protocol revenue for the last 12 months from DefiLlama. Quai's revenue is the value of the other chains' block rewards that SOAP used to buy QUAI. Supply growth compares each network in its third year after launch, from the QUAI tokenomics post.
Questions people ask
Can Monero run smart contracts?
No. Monero is for payments only. Quai runs the EVM, so Solidity contracts work on it.
Is Quai private like Monero?
They work in different ways. QUAI transactions are public, like Ethereum's. Qi, the second token, uses a cash-like UTXO ledger.
How do the two supplies compare?
Monero adds a fixed 0.6 XMR in every block for all time. QUAI's reward follows the logarithm of difficulty, so emission slows as the network grows, and SOAP buybacks burn QUAI.
More comparisons
Sources
This page gives information only. It is not financial advice. See the disclaimers.