finops:
  overview: >
    Monero is open-source, self-hosted software with no licensing costs or SaaS subscription
    fees for the core APIs. Financial considerations relate to infrastructure costs for running
    nodes, network transaction fees paid to miners (denominated in XMR), and optional
    third-party commercial services built on top of the protocol.
  software_costs:
    model: free_open_source
    license: BSD 3-Clause
    cost: '$0'
    notes: >
      monerod, monero-wallet-rpc, monero-wallet-cli, and the Monero GUI wallet are all
      free and open-source. There are no API keys, subscriptions, or usage-based fees
      charged by the Monero project itself.
  infrastructure_costs:
    full_node:
      model: self_hosted
      blockchain_size:
        pruned_gb: '~60 GB (pruned node)'
        full_gb: '~200+ GB (full node as of 2026)'
        growth: Grows over time with network activity
      ram_minimum_gb: 2
      ram_recommended_gb: 4
      cpu: Any modern CPU; RandomX PoW benefits from large L3 cache
      bandwidth:
        initial_sync: Several GB for blockchain download
        ongoing_monthly_gb: '~5-20 GB depending on peer count and network activity'
      estimated_monthly_cost_vps: '$5-$20 USD on typical VPS providers'
    wallet_rpc:
      model: self_hosted
      notes: >
        monero-wallet-rpc can run on the same host as monerod or separately.
        Resource usage is modest; primary cost is blockchain sync time on first run.
  transaction_fees:
    model: dynamic_network_fee
    unit: atomic_units_per_byte
    conversion: '1 XMR = 1,000,000,000,000 (1e12) atomic units'
    typical_fee_xmr: '~0.00001–0.0001 XMR per transaction (varies with network load)'
    fee_priority_tiers:
      - name: unimportant
        description: Lowest fee; slowest inclusion; suitable for non-time-sensitive transfers
      - name: normal
        description: Default fee tier; typically included within 1-2 blocks
      - name: elevated
        description: Higher fee for faster inclusion during congestion
      - name: priority
        description: Highest fee for immediate next-block inclusion
    dynamic_fee_calculation:
      method: get_fee_estimate daemon RPC
      description: >
        Call get_fee_estimate to retrieve current fee rates per byte at each priority level.
        Fees are paid to the block miner and are burned/not accumulated by any central party.
    ring_signature_cost:
      description: >
        Monero's privacy features (RingCT, stealth addresses, ring signatures) make
        transactions larger than most cryptocurrencies. Default ring size is 16 decoys.
        Larger transactions incur proportionally higher fees.
  mining_economics:
    block_reward:
      description: >
        Monero uses a smooth emission curve. The block reward was ~0.6 XMR per block in 2026,
        declining gradually. After the main emission ends, a minimum tail emission of
        0.6 XMR/block is maintained permanently to fund miners and preserve network security.
      tail_emission: 0.6 XMR per block (permanent minimum)
    block_time_seconds: 120
    mining_software_cost: Free (P2Pool, XMRig, and others are open source)
    pool_fees:
      solo: '0% (full block reward if found)'
      p2pool: '0% (decentralized; no operator fee)'
      centralized_pools: 'Typically 1-2% of mined XMR'
  commercial_service_costs:
    remote_nodes:
      - type: Community volunteer nodes
        cost: Free
        reliability: Variable
        directory: https://monero.fail/
      - type: Commercial node providers
        cost: '$5-$50/month depending on provider and SLA'
        examples: Various third-party hosting providers
    exchange_listing:
      description: >
        XMR is listed on numerous centralized and decentralized exchanges.
        Trading fees vary by exchange (typically 0.1-0.5% per trade).
  cost_optimization_tips:
    - Run a pruned node (--prune-blockchain) to reduce storage by ~60%; saves disk cost on VPS
    - Use P2Pool instead of centralized pools to avoid 1-2% pool fees on mining rewards
    - Use normal fee tier for routine transactions; only use priority tier when time-sensitive
    - Consolidate small outputs with sweep_dust before transfers to reduce future transaction sizes and fees
    - Use sweep_all to consolidate outputs periodically; reduces long-term transaction fee overhead
    - Self-host monerod and monero-wallet-rpc to avoid remote node privacy trade-offs and third-party costs
    - Run on ARM-based VPS (e.g., Ampere) for better price/performance on CPU-intensive RandomX validation
  references:
    daemon_rpc: https://docs.getmonero.org/rpc-library/monerod-rpc/
    wallet_rpc: https://docs.getmonero.org/rpc-library/wallet-rpc/
    developer_guides: https://www.getmonero.org/resources/developer-guides/
    source_code: https://github.com/monero-project/monero
    public_nodes: https://monero.fail/