Do any of these "meme" coins matter? What use cases can they provide to the world? People are only getting into the hype with the hopes of getting rich quick. Good luck with that. PEPE may be the hottest "meme" coin around, but that doesn't mean it's worth it. The "pump" in market price will be shortlived, especially when the coin doesn't have any real substance to it. I cannot use PEPE to pay for goods and/or services the same way I can with BTC or even ETH for that matter. It's all speculation to say the least.

I think Dogecoin will be the sole survivor of the "meme" coins group because of its tried-and-tested blockchain network over the years. The others are just clones or failed attempts to copy the original "meme" coin. At least, it will be a fun ride while it lasts. As long as you don't put all of your money in "meme" coins, there should be nothing to worry about. Just my thoughts

None. Just because a few countries adopted BTC as legal tender (El Salvador, Central African Republic) doesn't mean the same fate awaits other coins. Polygon is an altcoin with a higher supply than BTC and low merchant acceptance worldwide. Not to mention, the Polygon blockchain is less decentralized compared to Bitcoin. If you think governments will abandon Fiat in favor of crypto, then you're not seeing the bigger picture. Countries that embraced BTC with open arms are only doing it because of the taxation benefits the cryptocurrency provides. Not because they want people to have true financial freedom and privacy.

You can see why El Salvador hasn't abandoned the USD, even after adopting BTC as legal tender. Governments are smart, anyways. We should just carry on with our lives and forget about the rest. As long as crypto stays decentralized, there should be nothing to worry about. Just my opinion

That's the point. Bitcoin was meant to be used as a currency for day-to-day payments independently from the banking system. Unfortunately, Wall Street saw an opportunity to make money with BTC and ruined its value proposition. This is why now the vast majority of people are only into Bitcoin to get rich quick. Any dip in price would cost BTC dearly in terms of mainstream adoption.

I've always said 1 BTC = 1 BTC no matter what. Why should we care about its value in Fiat terms anyways? Wasn't BTC created as an alternative to Fiat? The latter is bound to collapse due to rising inflation rates.

I'm waiting for the day when BTC is used as the standard unit of account. Goods and/or services will be valued in BTC terms instead of Fiat. With that, volatility will no longer become an issue. Merchants accepting BTC as payment method are increasing by the day, so it should only be a matter of time before "hyperbitcoinization" becomes a reality. Maybe BTC will become the world's reserve currency someday? Just my thoughts

Isn't that the same thing Terra/LUNA did with the UST stablecoin a while ago? That lead it to failure as the Luna Foundation Guard was unable to restore the peg even with its BTC holdings. This is a dangerous move from Tether that could lead the crypto market towards complete disaster in the future. If USDT goes down, all hell will break lose. Things will be worse because the company will sell its BTC holdings to try to rescue the stablecoin's peg to the USD. A huge crash awaits for BTC and other coins if this happens.

Let's hope there isn't another banking crisis that would destroy stablecoins for good. I'd trust Fiat instead of a stablecoin because it's backed by the full faith and credit of the government. Who knows if these things become history in the not-so-distant future? Just my opinion

This is good news for El Salvador. The more crypto-related companies and businesses move into the country, the better. I think El Salvador's economy will be booming within a decade from now. I wouldn't be surprised if established players from the US like Coinbase and Kraken also move there sometime in the future. The US is becoming hostile against crypto/Blockchain tech, leaving crypto exchanges no choice but to move their operations elsewhere.

Let's see if President Nayib Bukele will turn El Salvador into a developed country soon. With Bitcoin bound to rise in price, anything's possible. Just my thoughts

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Exactly. There are plenty of open source alternatives available that totally respect your privacy. With Microsoft spying on users since the release of Windows 10 (using Telemetry), I'd steer clear from anything linked to the company especially when it comes to protecting my utmost sensitive data. TrueCrypt and/or Veracrypt is all you need to encrypt your flash drive without worrying about getting your data exposed to a third-party. Since private keys/seeds take little space, you can save money by buying a flash drive with the lowest storage capacity available. That is if you're planning on using the flash drive as a "hardware wallet". For cold storage options (not planning to use your crypto funds periodically), write or print the keys/seeds instead (paper wallet).

Centralized exchanges have been "messing around" with customers' funds, so it's best to practice self-custody of your coins to safeguard your investment for the long term. As long as you follow the necessary security precautions, there should be nothing to worry about. Just my thoughts

You can say that again. Even so-called "Ethereum killers" are using the EVM as their backbone. Developers can create or port Ethereum-based smart contracts written on Solidity into other blockchain networks compatible with the EVM. It's no wonder why Ethereum is still the "King". Only chains with their own programming language built from scratch (Sui, Aptos, among a few others) have a better chance of beating Ethereum in the long run.

So far, competing chains have been unsuccessful in their quest to take down Ethereum as the leading altcoin in the market. I doubt that will change in the future. Crypto/Blockchain tech is all about diversity, so why focus on replacing ETH when developers can build their own successful blockchain that will last for generations? Just my opinion

It's all nothing but hype. Shiba Inu developers just want to attract as many fools as possible to suck the money out of their pockets for their own benefit. The cryptocurrency is just a "meme" coin with a large circulating supply. It was never meant to be taken seriously. We could say it's a "Dogecoin clone" without a Blockchain network of its own.

If you really want privacy, use Monero or Zcash for your utmost sensitive transactions. I really hope people realize that it's not about the money  but rather the usefulness of any given cryptocurrency. The industry is still in its "early days", so we should expect "meme" coins like SHIBA and PEPE to keep pumping for a while. The effects will be shortlived, especially when such coins have no substance behind them. Only BTC, ETH and a few other similar coins will survive because of the real use cases they provide to the world. Who knows how long will Shiba Inu last? Just my thoughts

You've said it yourself. This will be an ever-lasting battle between between crypto and mainstream governments. There's nothing we can do about it other than to keep fighting for privacy and freedom. Despite the volatility, crypto is better than Fiat because of its decentralized and censorship-resistant design. That's the main reason why governments hate it. On one hand, they want to tax crypto-related transactions. But on the other hand, they want to ban it.

The US has taken an aggressive stance against crypto mainly because of the FTX collapse and concerns about using the tech to avoid sanctions. That, and also the fact that the country doesn't want crypto to overtake the US Dollar in the future. Expect other countries to do the same to protect their dominance/control over people and the economy.

Governments won't be able to shut down crypto, but they will be able to reduce its dominance by targeting centralized exchanges and service providers. This will "cripple" crypto's ability to replace Fiat in the future. I'm fine with that as long as crypto works as intended. Just my opinion

TRON isn't being taken seriously  especially when it's been quite inactive in terms of development and innovation lately. With founder Justin Sun getting in trouble with the US, the future for the cryptocurrency seems bleak. I believe TRX will end up being like DOGE as a speculative cryptocurrency with no future ahead of it. The TRON blockchain may be fast and cheap to use, but it lacks quality dApps that are available on more robust Blockchain networks.

What's keeping it alive is the USDT stablecoin and some exchanges with big investments on it (like Binance and Poloniex). If it wasn't by that, TRON would've been dead by now. Unless developers start taking TRON seriously, TRX (the cryptocurrency) won't be going anywhere soon. Just my thoughts

I can't imagine how heat will "ruin" the contents inside of the stainless steel box. Perhaps the plastic storage boxes that are waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof are a better solution? I own many unbranded small plastic boxes from China, but they often feel cheaper compared to the bigger ones made by Pelican (although these are much more expensive). If there was a plastic storage box with foam inserts for graded coin slabs (at an affordable price), I'd pick one up without hesitation. I might try sealing the coin slabs on vacuum-sealed bags for added protection. Wish me luck!



Cool. I may have to try this solution on my PCGS-graded collectibles someday. Both the sandpaper and the scratch remover solution are cost-effective methods that don't break the bank.

That said, I appreciate everyone's suggestions. I'm locking this thread now as my problem is solved. Feel free to contact me on PM if there's anything else you'd like to add. Have fun collecting!

That tells us we're still in the eaely days of crypto. Just wait until the masses get in, and market prices will never be the same. There's only one way Bitcoin and other prominent coins can go. And that's up in market price. With countries now getting into the game, it should only be a matter of time before the market grows bigger than ever. This should stabilize most crypto market prices or at least minimize volatility by a considerable margin.

If you've got "diamond hands", then just buy, "hodl", and forget about the rest. Otherwise, crypto is not for you. Bitcoin has already been classified as the best-performing asset of 2023, beating stocks and even Gold. Who knows if we're destined to become the next crypto millionaires in the not-so-distant future? Just my thoughts

It's all speculation. Unless governments or serious entities start issuing NFTs, don't expect the trend to be taken seriously anytime soon. Still, it would be nice to preserve the data of NFTs that are truly valuable. Would imagine losing it all if the server containing the NFT data goes down in an instant? You'd say the properties of the NFT are stored in the Blockchain, but without the content, what's the use?

This is still the early days of crypto/Blockchain tech, so I believe there's room for improvement. The solutions are already there to make NFTs last forever. It'll be up to developers and/or NFT creators to do the right thing by using any of the available decentralized cloud storage solutions for investors' own benefit. NFTs or not, crypto won't be going anywhere soon. Just my opinion

Most stablecoins are centralized, so yes, it may not be worth your time and effort investing into them for the long haul. Even decentralized ones like DAI have USD reserves on a bank (which makes them partially-centralized). Any pressure from the US government in the long run could put well-known stablecoins at risk. Nothing is guaranteed to last forever, anyways.

Instead of stablecoins, why not consider cashing out for Fiat (USD)? You'd avoid losing all of your money if the stablecoin loses its peg in the long run. What will truly last are decentralized cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. When CBDCs come in, you can say goodbye to stablecoins for good. Just my thoughts

That's very sad. It would create a "deadlock" between the US government and the crypto industry for years on end. This could change if there's a new administration by the time 2025 comes in. Gary Gensler could be replaced by someone else who's more open to dialogue between crypto exchanges and service providers alike. Ultimately, Congress has the power to put an end to this nightmare once and for all.

I really hope the US gets back in the game just to make life easier for US investors and/or traders. Otherwise, crypto users in the country will feel a lot of pain in the long run. Who knows how the battle between Coinbase and the SEC will unfold in the future? Just my opinion

Of course people will evade. And there's nothing the SEC can do about it. Crypto/Blockchain tech is decentralized after all. This "approved custodian" rule will only make crypto more centralized. It will force people to use P2P exchanges or trade crypto in-person in the long run. That means less tax income for the US. Not only that, but tightening regulations will force centralized exchanges to move elsewhere.

Bittrex left the country, and Coinbase is coming up next. And God knows if Binance will also do the same soon. US customers will be left with Kraken and some other small crypto exchanges in the timebeing. But if Gary Gensler maintains his aggressive stance against crypto, there will be no exchanges left in the country.

I hope this would be over by 2025 after the new government is sworn in. That is if Republicans win the race. Otherwise, you can say bye-bye to crypto in the US for good. Maybe this is an opportunity for the EU to rise as the leading superpower for crypto/Blockchain tech development and innovation? Just my thoughts

Decentralized protocols can be hacked too. But the risk is a lot lower than centralized staking platforms that don't give you access to the keys/seeds of your crypto funds. You need to do your own reasearch about the platform you're willing to stake your stablecoins into, just to be safe. USDT has managed pretty well during times of crisis, so you can rest assured your money won't be going anywhere soon. I cannot say the same about other stablecoins as they've failed in the past. You could either win big or lose it all in an instant.

One thing for sure is that staking stablecoins is a lot more lucrative than just saving money in a bank. If you act fast, you can reap huge rewards in the future. Just my thoughts

If that is the case, then we should have nothing to worry about. NFT data must be preserved if we want to display or sell our digital collectibles in the future. Crypto/Blockchain tech is all about decentralization, so why not put everything on a decentralized cloud storage solution? The decision lies on NFT creators themselves.

While I don't think the trend will disappear, people will move on to the next big thing in the crypto space with the hopes of getting rich quick. New trends such as Soulbound tokens (SBT) and tokenized assets (Gold, Diamond, Real Estate, etc) will take over the NFT hype for a while. When will that happen is an excellent question. Just don't invest more than what you can't afford to lose, and you'll have nothing to worry about.

This is nothing new. The US government has been on a "witch hunt" to minimize crypto's dominance in the country after what happened with FTX. They seriously don't want American people to join in the revolution. A pity for them, as other countries will "eat their cake". As far as mixers go, they're a contentious subject among major countries in the world. They're quickly classified as "money laundering tools" just because governments don't want people to use them. Financial freedom and privacy goes against governments' own rules.

I think centralized mixers will ultimately disappear, paving the way for decentralized (non-custodial) mixers to take over the industry. I'm fine with that as long as people use mixers in a legal and responsible manner. Just my opinion