With that said, Monero does look like a strong asset for the long term. As regulators crack down on digital assets and remove all paths to anonymity, cryptocurrencies like Monero become increasingly relevant. However, I wouidn't be surprised to see an outright ban on privacy-coins, which could eventually hinder the growth of Monero as established businesses and companies choose not to interact with the coin or support it.
Personally, I think we're at least a few years until that is a realistic concern though, so there's still plenty of time for growth. Hopefully, between now and then, Monero evolves into something that cannot be blocked.
Agree! Even if we ignore the invisible stuff like how much development is put into it and how much testing and practical use by a real community, there is one thing difficult to ignore. And this is that Monero is a first mover, that is all there is to it,,, like Bitcoin, it was the first popular use of anonymous/privacy context, and will always be strong for that in long term.