Hi Jimbo, I have always used paper wallets, created offline, laminated and intended for single use. I make 2 copies which are each stored in 2 separate fireproof safes placed in two locations not in my home.  When I want to access them, I can.  If one location is destroyed, I can still access the funds. If I die, trusted members of my family have key access to the safes to recover funds. Simple and secure enough for me.

I second that, it's a good read and always welcome, even for those who (like me) lurk more than comment.

I bought XMR nearly a decade ago when it was first listed on Poloniex and I still have a decent stash - and I use it in real life.  Monero still has genuine use cases and is - and always has been - a great coin. Pricewise, Litecoin looks positively anaemic compared to Monero - XMR is in good health.

Is he saying anything right now, I wonder..?

I feel the same as cAPSLOCK, I haven't seen a proper conversation over what the changes will mean and who exactly thinks what.  Fluffy's thoughts would be welcome but I understand why he is not around to say his piece.   

Back in the day there was a lot of chatter and devs would drop by - I always felt pretty reassured.  Now it's just 'fingers crossed' it will be OK.   Price is looking sweet enough, XMR is easily outdoing the likes of LTC and other coins with a decent rep and respected history.  We just have to hope we're being looked after by safe hands.

Happy New Year to everyone, let's hope it's a good one for Monero.

Can I be cAPSLOCK's plus one?

Recent bullish behavior brings me back for a peek...  A repeat of the massive 2016 bull would be most welcome.

Respect for keeping The Monro Moon going, too

I hope he didn't put his money where his mouth is and go short...

I will try to be polite, but like cAPSLOCK I totally disagree.  
Personally Monero has been the best investment I ever made after Bitcoin and a fair amount of the Bitcoin I acquired have been from profit taking on Monero's peaks.  This may not be the case for everyone, of course - but 'storing my economic energy' in it has proved to be very rewarding.

As to a $50 Monero?  Er.. not anytime soon IMO.  It was way under that level ($26) as recently as 2020, but that only proves that today's price is hardly disappointing.  On the contrary, Monero is currently acting bullish and a 75%-plus collapse is unlikely in any near timeframe.

Since you seem very confident, may I ask within what amount of time do you expect Monero to be under $50?

---

Monero looking a little overbought if anything just now.

Don't worry if it takes a breather to cool off the RSI - personally I am buying any dip.  A golden cross is on the cards for February (for those that believe in them, as I do) so I hope to see decent strength in price against both BTC and USD between now and at least the end of February.

I was thinking the same.  On the current trajectory a more conventional 200/50 golden cross in late Feb/ March might be on...  And traditionally Feb is not a bad time for XMR.  It has also performed well after BTC cyclical peaks (see late 2017 - early 2018) but let's see how it pans out. 

Generally the whole market is hard to read.  To be honest I really thought BTC was due to to do FAR better than it did in Q4 2021. Like many others I expected fireworks galore and euphoria.  Now I don't know what to expect.  Bitcoin hasn't crashed yet - as we have seen after previous blow-off tops - so, maybe the bull is not dead. On the other hand, it doesn't look like there is any upwards pressure on price either.

Monero picking up now is both interesting and refreshing.  I hope this move has got legs.  That really would be sweet.

Ah.. it's ok.  Some of us have had it a while and are now finally selling it

Interesting debate @cAPCLOCK...

Personally I have never thought Monero would replace Bitcoin.  I had Bitcoin before Monero existed but I loved what Monero was building and have held it since it was launched.  I still hold both.

Monero has a role, as does Bitcoin and I know many Bitcoiners who have a decent level of respect for what is an honest, non-premined project that has a role, and a genuinely useful and noble USP; privacy.

For me, any stance against Bitcoin from Monero supporters is a pointless, 'comparing apples to oranges' argument.  Monero was created after Bitcoin and is of course different to it. Its main property was something that Bitcoin does not - and was not designed to - have.  It was an obvious move to cater for a demand for truly private money that does exist.  It is legitimate to serve that demand.  It's what got me into it.

OK, Monero's price is possible to manipulate, but I think current real negative price pressure is the perception Monero will be squeezed out because TPTB won't want an untraceable currency to be easily available.  Let's face it, it is easy enough to pressure exchanges not to list it if they want to marginalise Monero.  This perception does not help price, but it is not Bitcoin that is doing this. It is because Monero actually works and TPTB are likely to see that as a threat.  

That said, I don't think Monero can be pushed aside, as it works and offers real privacy, which will always have a use.  Even sovereign states may quietly appreciate it for keeping certain transactions private.

Monero is unique and has a role, but to target Bitcoin for its failings, rather than just spreading the word on Monero's strengths makes no sense to me.

Apologies for interrupting the ants debate with OT... but in less than a week we have a golden cross coming.

Hey Bob, take good care and I wish you and Rick all the best. 

Feeling wildly optimistic, possibly due to England beating Germany today.

However, I have a spreadsheet of all the Bitstamp data from the past few years, which I have been overlaying with prices and running data this cycle against the past cycle.  I've tested data for death cross point, cycle bottom to top and of course i have been fine tuning as we go along.  As this run looks like rhyming with 2013, frankly it's mostly been out of whack. 

That said, I still think the top of this cycle will be in December - and I still think institutional FOMO will do what we 'ordinary investors' did last time and take us very high.

I humbly submit to his Dudeness my estimate - $315,000.

Anything over 100K is great - but once we hit 100k, I don't think it will stop there and I do think things will get a little irrational and spike very high. I reckon December will be just a little bit... awesome.

Yes, Polo was cool back in the day - and Monero was a part of its success.  Like others, I moved there as soon as Monero was listed - just to actually be able to buy some.   

Running XMR pairs was about the exchange's fondness for the coin, I assume. 
Of course Tristan d'Agosta sold up in the end and it's never really been the same since.  It was a bit iffy and chaotic, but it was cool.  It was one of the big exchanges at one point.  I still have a kind of loyalty to it, probably irrationally nostalgic - but lately I have reluctantly moved half my alt trading off it in favour of Finex.

Now Polo's moving as fast as it can into Defi stuff (driven in part by investor Justin Sun of course) but I am a bit too old school for Defi.

I still can't resist trading some alts, though.  That said - all alts except Monero are just for stacking a little BTC.  If I trade Monero, it's to get more Monero.  It's just too good to let go of and certainly underpriced.

^What's Jim got to do with it, cAPSLOCK...? 

Mini news: Poloniex has XMR in 'wallet maintenance' no withdrawals or deposits.  Normally I would say 'so what' but ETC has been in this 'cage' for months now, and that is no exaggeration, it really has been months.   Eventually of course eventually people sell to get out, so the price drops. ETC was trading 30% under market price at times and it's still under now.

I am deeply suspicious of the ETC nixing, as nothing similar has happened elsewhere and of course an unscrupulous exchange might just scoop up coins and sell them on ANY other exchange at a premium. Oddly NO other exchanges are having the same 'wallet' issue. Now it's our coin which is in the cooler.

So, as they used to say on Hill Street Blues... 'Let's be careful out there'

A small positive indicator...   
I have always traded alts on Poloniex since Monero was first listed there.  So I know how XMR/BTC trades there pretty well.   I can't ever recall a time when XMR bids were overwhelmingly larger than asks.  Normally (even when XMR was bullish) you could see 3 times as many on sale as being bid for.  Right now bids are way more than asks. 

I know Polo is not nearly as significant as other exchanges now.   But it is evidence of less XMR availability and therefore bodes well. 

I am feeling bullish on XMR and on BTC, I think both will have an epic year - even if it doesn't look so hot right now.   Patience is a virtue.

Hey, cAPSLOCK, you are not alone.

I reckon I would be thinking a bit less post the dump, too.

But hey - this is Bitcoin so almost anything can happen. I think winning one of the Dude's games is more luck than skill.

And I have never one one, or even been close.

Interesting analysis, Theymos.  A lot rings true.  I still think we are looking at a very bullish last quarter this year, but I can't help nodding in agreement at the rough ride we'll have getting there.

Thanks for yet another game to lift the mood, Dude.

I am of course hoping for a face-ripping surge in price, however, I think June won't be much of a change and fear we will be-range bound back where we have been.  It might be a dull summer.  If my guess is too low it won't disappoint me.

$58,820

I think cAPSLOCK mentioned a possible giant cup and was hoping for the handle to appear.   If it was you sir, well spotted - it seems to have come off just as predicted (or hoped for).

When Monero decides to awaken, it does it rather wonderfully...  Barolo time indeed.