There are some other DEXes that are constantly being promoted now, it is no longer the usual and normal practice where DEXes are left without being promoted and without much activities. Although, i have been using IDEX for quite some time now and i just discovered another with a growing volume, called Allbit, which the author has also included on his list. Promotions are very important and vital aspect of exchanges, whether decentralized or centralized.

There are also other factors that are needed to be checked, such as the product. How much has the team been able to build or develop the product that would give more value to the coin.
Buy what you can hold and not what will plummet within few minutes of buy.

We have had a taste of bear in this year already, but in between, there were some meaningful rise in price.
This year looks promising. Although, the whole market might not recover, but there are certain coins that will grow, because they are offering something unique.

I have always been using escrow groups, on WhatsApp, telegram and the likes. Other  there are other available websites in my country, but because they always like to buy cheaply, I prefer using other platforms, such as the ones I have mentioned

We ought to have been used to the system with which the market is operating now. So, either it recovers this year or not, we can still continue to see and lay our hands on some profitable coins, even on shorter basis.
The recovery might come unexpectedly, but the time, no one knows.

There are some set of people who want the bear market to continue. As a matter of fact, this is the best time for them to make good profits before the bull run.
Some times, I just feel that instead of the continuous complaint of the bull run not coming, why don't people learn how to trade when the market seems not favourable. This is more like diversification.

The rate of interests in ICO is gradually dwindling. The only thing that can revive it is if that can be an ICO auditing body hat can be trusted with such responsibility. Else so many ICOs might continue to fail.
Despite the reduced interest i ICOs, there are some that have been able to attract investors and have also succeeded. Some of those not succeeding are scam and there are some that could not do adequate marketing to attract investors.

Some projects are now beginning to give DEX some audience. Most not the projects I have seen, I don't know of others. Projects such as Bidoo and BitFence listed on  DEX during their first listing, which are DDEX and CDEX repectively.
It is a gradual development.

Gone are the days that investors were just investing in any coin, inasmuch as so much hyped are built around them.
It was the same mentality that was brought into 2018 and which made a lot of people to lose to scam projects.

If there is any coin one should be careful of, they are the new ones, because so many of them do not have any usefulness and their survival rate is very low.
You might also find it difficult to identify some of the good ones, so in that case, old is mostly better option.

Since you already received a red flag of an intended scam, the best you should do is to let go of it. There are other serious and legit ICOs. All you need do, is to do your own research and you will be fine. it is better to be sure of something, than being skeptical about its authenticity and then choose it.

The updates needed for the market to rise are yet to come. The likes of Bitcoin ETF, BAKKT and other are still being expected. The only update we have now is that SEC chairman has just made his consent known that ETF will be approved, while the time is not known yet. If all these are approved, i believe that the bull we expect will come.

You have just asked two questions and i will answer the first before answering the main question.

If you remember, the bull run of 2017, so many peopel at that time wanted to be part of the profiting market. They came in with no knowledge about cryptocurrency an were investing their life saving. unfortunately for them, the bear market came in, which resulted into their loss. Owing to that incidence, they cannot invest again and do not trust the system.

Oh! I have been able to make some money, but not so much, because it took me some time before i could understand how the system operates.

If BCH touches $2000, then so many other top coins, would have gone far ahead, but i do not see it happening. Ever since the hardfork was done, i have always seen a downtrend, even though it is yet to get below the price i expected.
I cannot because of this news or should i say rumour, now decide to buy and hold.

I do not mind taking risk, but it must be a reasonable one. Although, no matter how reasonable it might be, we cannot be too sure they are the safest.
Some risks ae just worth taking. Imaging hearing the rumour of a good coin intended to be listed on a CEX, while still on DEX. There is every tendency for the coin to rise at the arrival of the news. So buying during the rumour is a risk worth taking.

It is quite unfortunate that some rules are not made clear at the start of bounty. They are not also announced during bounty, but when it ha ended.
I just wonder sometimes when i read statements like "we have the right to make changes to bounty rules" during bounty and it keeps me quizzed on what may likely happen, which most times bounty hunters may not like.

Yes, it is quite better than not having anything. When cryptocurrency first came into existence, a thing like this was not available. Which means we are steps higher and it is just one step at a time. That which seems not to be enough now,will become surplus very soon.

Do you mean you heard or read that people said, if bitcoin should die, stellar will also die?
Well, if the threshold of bitcoin is reached and it stops growing or later dies as some people predicted, it means that other coins, including xlm will definitely be affected.
On another note, bitcoin is not going to die now, because it is yet to reach that climax.

The market is about to receive a surge. As a matter of fact, it has started and it is likely for it to be sustained. Coins are now moving uptrend and it seems those that have formerly lost hope and now seeing it in another direction. The info that just went round as regards the bitcoin ETF, might bring a huge different on a positive note and if other updates follow, it will definitely birth another bull run.

If everyone could devote the time to always go through white papers, it will be hard for scam projects to survive. The reason being that, most of us will have our knowledge enhanced and we will be able to raise alarm in oneness on any scam project that is detected. Scammers will not be able to strive and will be afraid, knowing fully well that their scheme will be foiled.