This is one of those things that is inevitable, and complex enough in it's implications that it just makes me extremely uneasy. And
not in a simple way like: ISIS BAD!!! NO, MONERO!!!
This
ABSOLUTELY proves Monero's unique use case. And to be honest, if I was one of the hyper maximalists (Think Saifedean) this would give me tremendous heartburn. Because there is a REASON that Monero is beginning to catch up to BTC on the dark web, and why a group like ISIS would eventually see it's usefulness.
I am a maximalst insofar as I believe that (almost) no shitcoin does anything to IMPROVE on Bitcoin. And even the functionality of a network like ETH can not only be replicated on Bitcoin, but possibly even in a way that offers a better set of tradeoffs. Simplicity and Rootstock are being built on TOP of the highly secure BTC network without attempting to cram the computation on the base layer itself. It is already evident, but it will continue to be, in my opinion, that the layered approach to adding features is the correct, and inevitable approach.
But base layer privacy is not something you can just do atop BTC.
I have been saying for years that Monero is unique among the myriad shitcoins in that it actually really does something Bitcoin, not only can't, but possibly SHOULD NOT do. Privacy on the base layer has an EXTREMELY compelling and easily understood use case. And it also comes with it's own set of costs and tradeoffs. There is NO DOUBT about that. The Saifedean types have criticized Monero claiming that the private base layer makes it difficult, or impossible to audit, and means that an inflation bug could be happening even now and be being exploited unnoticed.
But privacy on the base layer is SUCH a powerful and useful concept that even *if* XMR was currently suffering from an inflation bug, it's usefulness could arguably still outweigh the cost. Back in the day Fluffypony used to say, Do NOT BUY Monero, USE it. And that is the meaning I always took from what he is saying. Monero is not really going for the "digital gold" moniker. Even though there are arguments that privacy could be important there as well. But Monero is going for the digital CASH crown. It has taken it's seat at the table as THE DEFACTO fungible cryptocurrency. PERIOD. No amount of marketing on the part of Dash can change that. No amount of butterflies and bubbles shit out by Zooko can overcome the privicy THEATER that ZCash is. And Monero holds the network effect prize as well.
But... I am afraid all the above is going to make Monero too famous, too fast. In the (parting) words of a wise man:
It would have been nice to get this attention in any other context. WikiLeaks ISIS has kicked the hornet's nest, and the swarm is headed towards us.
This is going to paint a HUGE blinking target on the back of Monero. And I have to be realistic. No amount of pie in the sky idealism will change the fact that even though EVERYONE wants what Monero gives us... VERY POWERFUL world governments are NOT going to look on this news cheerfully.
At least it's interesting!
GO MONERO!