Tezos (XTZ): questions and answers
Every answer below is written from the sources listed at the end of this page, with the date each one was checked.
The question that decides how you read Tezos
Tezos was built so that protocol disputes could be settled by a vote instead of a fork. Its first real dispute was settled in court. What does that say about on-chain governance?
By 2017 the field had watched two chains fracture over questions no one could decide: Bitcoin's block size and Ethereum's DAO intervention. Tezos' answer was to put amendment inside the protocol — proposals, an exploration vote, a testing period on a temporary chain, and a promotion vote, all on-chain.
The design assumes the hard part is deciding. Its own history suggests the hard part is the organisation around the protocol, which no amount of on-chain machinery reaches.
What is still unsettled
Participation is the open question. On-chain governance is only as legitimate as its turnout and its distribution of stake, and both are measurable and imperfect. There is also a quieter issue: voting favours those who can evaluate a protocol amendment, which is a small group on any chain.
What this means when you swap XTZ
Tezos addresses come in several forms and the prefix matters. User accounts begin `tz1`, `tz2`, `tz3` or `tz4` depending on the signature scheme; contract accounts begin `KT1`. Withdrawing to a contract address when a service expects a user account, or the reverse, causes avoidable failures.
Delegation is the feature worth understanding. You can delegate XTZ to a baker to earn rewards without transferring custody — the coins stay in your wallet and remain spendable — which is unusually safe compared with staking models that require sending funds away. There is no memo for ordinary transfers, though some custodians add their own reference.
Common XTZ questions
- How do I swap Tezos (XTZ) instantly on Monivo?
- Pick XTZ as the asset you want to receive, choose what you're paying with, paste your wallet address, and confirm. Monivo routes your order to the provider offering the best rate, and most swaps complete in under 10 minutes — no account needed.
- Can I swap XTZ with no KYC?
- Yes. Crypto-to-crypto swaps of XTZ on Monivo require no identity verification and no sign-up. Only fiat purchases (card or bank transfer) require KYC, because banks and payment processors mandate it.
- Is swapping Tezos on Monivo non-custodial?
- Yes. Monivo never holds your funds. XTZ is sent directly to the wallet address you provide, so you stay in control the whole time.
- Which network does XTZ use here?
- Monivo supports Tezos on the Tezos network. Always double-check that your receiving wallet supports this network before confirming.
- What fees apply when I swap XTZ?
- Monivo adds zero fees on top. The quote you see already reflects the best aggregated rate across connected providers, including their network and processing costs — all fees are included in the shown amount.
- Does delegating XTZ move my coins?
- No. Delegation assigns your balance's staking weight to a baker while the XTZ stays in your own wallet and remains spendable. Rewards are distributed by the baker according to their published terms, so the main risk is choosing an unreliable one, not losing custody.
- What is the difference between a `tz1` and a `KT1` address?
- Addresses beginning `tz` are user accounts controlled by keys; `KT1` addresses are smart contracts. Some services accept only one kind, so withdraw to the exact form the recipient asks for rather than assuming they are interchangeable.
- How does Tezos upgrade without hard forks?
- Protocol changes are proposed on-chain, voted on by bakers, trialled on a temporary test chain and then promoted by a second vote, after which they activate automatically. The result is that consensus rules can change without the network splitting into two chains.
Sources and dates (7)
- A dispute between the founders and the foundation's president delayed the network's launch. Reuters special report · 2017-10-19 · checked 2026-09-22
- A $25 million settlement resolved the consolidated private securities class action. Court-approved settlement website · 2020-03-16 · checked 2026-09-22
- Tezos accounts use tz-prefixed user addresses and KT1 contract addresses. Tezos documentation · checked 2026-09-22
- Delegation lets holders earn baking rewards without transferring custody of their XTZ. Tezos documentation · checked 2026-09-22
- IQ.wiki identifies Arthur and Kathleen Breitman as Tezos' creators and XTZ as its native asset. IQ.wiki · reported, not independently confirmed · checked 2026-09-23
- Messari dates Arthur Breitman's first Tezos position paper to August 2014. Messari · reported, not independently confirmed · checked 2026-09-23
- CoinGecko maintains the live XTZ market page under the Tezos asset name. CoinGecko · reported, not independently confirmed · checked 2026-09-23