Haveno’s development has been very active in the first quarter of 2025, bringing a host of new features and enhancements to the decentralized Monero exchange. Over the past two months (January through March 2025), the Haveno team has merged numerous commits and even released version 1.0.18 with notable improvements. Below we recap all the new features added during this period, from user-facing enhancements to under-the-hood upgrades, as documented on Haveno’s GitHub repository. Each feature is summarized with references to the specific commits or pull requests for the technically curious.

Dramatically Reduced Wallet Storage Usage

One major improvement is a drastic reduction in disk space usage by Haveno’s wallet files. In the latest release, the application now saves wallet data far less frequently, only as needed, which can cut disk usage by up to 98% . This optimization means users will notice much smaller storage footprints for Haveno, especially if running the application continuously. By saving wallets opportunistically rather than constantly, Haveno preserves disk health and performance without compromising reliability . This change was introduced by commit #1510 and quickly became part of the 1.0.18 release.

Increased Trade Limits for No-Deposit Offers

Haveno has raised the ceiling for no-deposit trades, allowing larger trades without collateral. Previously, offers marked “No Deposit” had a lower maximum amount, but as of January the limit was increased to 1.5 XMR . This means traders can now exchange up to 1.5 XMR in a single trade without needing a security deposit, improving liquidity for trusted trading partners. The change (implemented via PR #1536) expands Haveno’s flexibility for users who prefer or require deposit-free transactions . By upping the limit, the platform encourages higher-volume trades while still maintaining safety through reputation and arbitration mechanisms.

Reserved Balance Display in Funding View

To improve transparency of funds, Haveno’s UI now displays the reserved balance for each offer’s funding subaddress in the Funding view . In practical terms, when you create or take an offer, Haveno reserves some XMR (for example, as a security deposit or trade amount) in a specific subaddress of your wallet. The new feature clearly shows this reserved amount in the Funding screen, so you can easily see how much of your wallet balance is locked in ongoing trades . This UI enhancement (from PR #1508) helps users avoid confusion by distinguishing available balance from funds committed to active offers.

New Startup Flags for Node Configuration

Advanced users running Haveno alongside Monero nodes get two helpful new command-line options to fine-tune their setup. First, Haveno now supports a startup flag --xmrBlockchainPath to specify a custom Monero blockchain location . This is useful if you run a local Monero daemon with the blockchain stored in a non-standard directory or external drive. Instead of using the default path, you can point Haveno to wherever your lmdb blockchain files reside.

The second related flag is --updateXmrBinaries, which when used will prevent Haveno from auto-updating the bundled Monero binaries for purposes suitable for Haveno App developed by Haveno.com team. By default, Haveno ensures its packaged monerod and monero-wallet are up to date, but advanced operators might want to preserve their existing Monero node binaries. Using this flag, Haveno will skip downloading or replacing the Monero executables, allowing you to maintain a custom or pre-installed Monero setup . Both of these options were introduced in PRs #1547 and #1537 respectively, giving power users more control over node integration.

Version Information Visible in the UI

To make it easier to know which version of Haveno you are running, the developers added the application version number to the password dialog and splash screen . Now, whenever Haveno starts up, the loading splash screen and the login password prompt will show the current version (e.g., “Haveno 1.0.18”), thanks to contributions in PRs #1507 and #1513. This small quality-of-life feature helps users ensure they’re on the latest version at a glance . It’s especially helpful for those running multiple instances or updating frequently – no more guessing if you successfully upgraded, as the UI will clearly indicate it.

Introduction of Haveno Price Node Service

Perhaps the most significant architectural change in recent commits is the addition of the Haveno Price Node service . A price node is a simple HTTP service that Haveno clients can query for exchange rate data, acting as a bridge to third-party price feeds. With commit #1661 (“Add price node”), Haveno introduced this component to fetch and relay market prices (e.g., XMR to fiat or BTC rates) in a decentralized manner .

Instead of each Haveno client reaching out to external APIs for price info (which could break privacy or consistency), price nodes are run as Tor hidden services that aggregate data from various providers and deliver it to Haveno users on request . This keeps users within the Tor network for price updates, preserving anonymity while providing accurate market rates. The deployment guide has been updated accordingly, describing how to build and run price nodes as part of a Haveno network . The introduction of price nodes marks a big step toward decentralizing every aspect of the exchange – anyone can run a price node and contribute to Haveno’s ecosystem of distributed services.

Linux ARM64 Support (AArch64)

Haveno is no longer limited to x86 architectures – it now supports Linux on ARM64 (AArch64) platforms . This feature was highly requested by the community (with a bounty attached) for devices like Raspberry Pi and other ARM-based systems. As of commit #1665, the Haveno codebase has been updated to run on AArch64, resolving previous errors related to loading the correct native libraries on that architecture . In practical terms, you can now compile and run Haveno on a Linux ARM64 machine without workarounds, expanding the reach of Haveno to inexpensive single-board computers and ARM servers. This enhancement will make it easier for users to host nodes or trade on low-power devices, further decentralizing the network.

Official Installation Guides for Whonix and Qubes OS

Privacy-conscious users often run operating systems like Whonix (Tor-centric OS) or Qubes OS (security-focused virtualization). In March, Haveno added official documentation and support for installing and using the app on Whonix and Qubes. The contribution in PR #1628 provides step-by-step instructions and tweaks to get Haveno running smoothly in those environments. For Whonix, this typically means ensuring Tor is configured properly and that Haveno’s network settings align with Whonix’s gateways. For Qubes, it involves setting up the Haveno VM and networking rules. By catering to these platforms, the Haveno team shows its commitment to users who demand the highest levels of privacy and security. The new guides lower the barrier for such users to join the Haveno network with their preferred OS setup.

Automatic Cancellation of Duplicate Offers

A subtle but important safety feature was introduced to maintain a healthy trading ecosystem: Haveno will now automatically cancel any offers that have duplicate key images . In Monero, each output (or “coin”) has a unique key image when spent; if the same key image appears in two offers, it means the same funds might be inadvertently used twice. To prevent this scenario, the software detects duplicate key images among open offers and cancels the older or conflicting offers automatically . This ensures that sellers cannot (even accidentally) create multiple offers spending the same outputs, which would otherwise lead to failed trades or double-spend attempts. This feature, added in mid-March by commit f4f5363, adds an extra layer of integrity to the market, helping traders avoid accidental overlaps in their offers.

Conclusion

Between the release of Haveno 1.0.18 in January and the flurry of March commits, the Haveno project has delivered meaningful new features to improve user experience, performance, and network robustness. From tiny UI details like version labels to major additions like the price node and ARM64 support, the platform is evolving rapidly. All these updates come straight from Haveno’s GitHub repository commits and pull requests, highlighting the open-source community’s contributions and the core team’s dedication. Haveno users and community members can look forward to these enhancements in current and upcoming releases – and as always, are encouraged to review the GitHub sources for a deeper technical dive into each change. With privacy, decentralization, and user feedback guiding development, Haveno is steadily moving closer to its vision of a truly decentralized P2P exchange.

Sources: The information above is based on Haveno core team GitHub commit history and release notes from January–March 2025 , ensuring an accurate and up-to-date account of the latest features. Each referenced GitHub issue, PR, or commit provides further technical details for those interested, it also includes updates related to the Haveno.com core team who are working on the mobile apps an an alternate client, that's the nitty-gritty. Enjoy trading on Haveno – now with more features than ever!