The Monero Moon (Issue 63)
The Monero Moon is a curated newsletter covering all the latest news within Monero (XMR). We are happy to be back and will continue to publish intermittently for the foreseeable future!
Table of Contents:
Development, Releases, and Technology
Monero CLI and GUI 0.18.3.1, known as 'Fluorine Fermi,' have been released with several updates, including macOS ARM support for the GUI, optimization of wallet refresh to reduce RPC calls, and the introduction of the --no-initial-sync flag for faster responsiveness during the refresh process. You can find the binaries to download here, and more information here.
MoneroTime is now selling its Aluminum MoneroSigner, a hardware device with a camera for offline transaction signing via QR-Code. It allows users to generate seeds, passphrases, and addresses while remaining completely offline, safeguarding against internet-based threats. The device is open-source, funded by the Monero community, and comes with materials for stamping and securely storing your seed. Check it out here and watch the demo below.
Cake Wallet's latest update v4.10.1 and Monero.com v1.7.1 has been released and focuses on resolving user-reported issues and enhancing the user experience. It introduces improved accessibility for specific app features, making it more user-friendly. Additionally, the transaction screen has been refined to offer a smoother and more intuitive experience, allowing users to manage their transactions with ease. Download links to the Cake Wallet and Monero.com apps can be found here.
Rucknium, a member of the Monero Research Lab, emphasizes the importance of Exodus Desktop users updating their software to version 23.10.10 or later. This update is crucial to address privacy concerns linked to unusual fees generated by earlier versions that might compromise transaction anonymity. By ensuring Monero transactions align with standard fees, this update upholds the effectiveness of the Monero protocol's privacy features. For more details, please refer to this link.
Haveno has released v0.0.12 with a series of enhancements, updates, and bug fixes. These include adjustments to the user interface, terms and conditions updates, and improved functionality, contributing to an overall smoother experience for users. Haveno aims to be a non-custodial, decentralized exchange for crypto and fiat currencies built on Tor and Monero. Check it out here, and please bear in mind that Haveno is still in development.
Samourai Wallet is working to enhance financial privacy for Bitcoin users by utilizing Monero and the "auto Tx0" feature.
A recent Reddit post from TamaAlba discussed the possibility of integrating Monero into Nostr. Nostr is a decentralized messaging system, and it's designed as a censorship-resistant Twitter alternative with built-in custodial Bitcoin Lightning payments. TamaAlba emphasized the importance of Nostr's self-custodial nature in protecting free speech and is encouraging users to explore Nostr and consider its potential for Monero integration. Check out this link for more information, which also includes a link to Monero community members active on Nostr. There are also paid Monero Nostr relays which offer users the ability to pay a small fee in Monero to whitelist their public key in a relay, enabling them to post events with reduced spam in their feed while keeping access free for readers, resulting in a more curated global page.
sech1 warned P2Pool miners about a vulnerability related to curl's use for RPC calls to a Monero node, as it currently relies on an exposed version. Miners using SOCKS5 proxies with P2Pool connecting to third-party Monero nodes should exercise caution and can anticipate a fix in P2Pool v3.8, or proactively address the issue by compiling the latest code. Avoid using third-party Monero nodes and operate your own. More information can be found here.
Seth for Privacy has issued a call to action, urging individuals to support the Monero network by running their own node. It is highly recommended you run a node to help secure the Monero network. You can easily set up a Monero node using an old CPU you may have at home. Helpful guides can be found here and here, making it accessible even for non-technical users to run a Monero node.
As pointed out by hundehausen, you can access a new dashboard displaying stats for your Monero node created by lalanza808 at MoneroSuite.org. Just generate a docker-compose file with various components like monerod, prometheus, grafana, traefik, and Tor for hidden services.
Monero Observer has released a new Monero Dev Activity Report to provide a big-picture view of Monero's development activity throughout the past week. If you’re interested in the nitty gritty, check it out here.
General News
Cafe Monero, a new YouTube channel and podcast about Monero for Spanish-speaking audiences, released its first episode titled Pluja | EL PROBLEMA DEL KYC | Sus peligros y las herramientas para evitarlo. Check it out here. Cafe Monero also interviewed Alessandrodkt: jugador de fútbol, apicultor, y sobre todo la voz online del Club Atlético Libertad. That video is further below in the CA Libertad discussion.
Monero Magazine has relaunched its podcast after a three-month hiatus, featuring an interview by host Michael Fitzgerald with Bitcoin advocate Aleks Svetski. The interview touches on various topics, including the debate between Proof of Work and Proof of Stake, Bitcoin, social mobility, and discussions surrounding diversity, equity, inclusivity, and ESG concepts.
Monero Talk interviewed Econ Bro, a Nigerian Austrian economist working to promote liberty in Nigeria. The conversation explores topics such as Econ Bro's journey into Austrian economics, the challenges of fostering interest in liberty in Nigeria, and the potential role of Monero in advancing the cause of liberty worldwide. Additionally, they discuss Econ Bro's XMR fundraiser aimed at conducting seminars to educate Nigerian youth about the free market, liberty, and Monero. Check it out here.
Monero Talk has shared a video from the Monerotopia 2023 conference featuring Dan 'Taxation Is Theft' Behrman, a prominent podcaster, libertarian activist, and former presidential candidate. The video offers insights on embracing freedom by challenging coercive government structures.
Additionally, Monero Talk also live-streamed Monerotopia #137. The episode includes a price report with Bawdy, a development segment with ComradeBlin, XMR news of the week with Tony, and many other interesting segments. Check it out here.
CA Libertad, a football team based in Argentina supported by members of the Monero community, expressed their commitment to promoting freedom and privacy while welcoming people to their country. They proudly presented their collaboration with Monero supporters, launching a new T-shirt and the "platea Monero" platform. They acknowledged and thanked numerous Monero contributors who played a vital role in their mission to educate people about Monero's privacy and decentralization in their region., while also enjoying the game of football. Check out this great Twitter thread and video for more insights into CA Libertad!
OpenMonero introduced Startpage, enabling Monero enthusiasts to stay updated on Monero-related information through their preferred web browsers. Users could set startpage.openmonero.com as the browser's starting site, providing access to the latest Monero news, price data, statistics, exchange pairs, and content from popular Monero blogs like Coindesk, Cointelegraph, Decrypt.co, and more. It appears to still be under development, but check it out here.
The Monero Standard #75: 5 Sept 2023 - 12 Oct 2023 newsletter has been published. Check it out to keep up with Monero news!
Edward Snowden, recently speaking at Bitcoin Amsterdam, underscored the importance of hacking as understanding and exploiting systems' rules, highlighting the crypto community's overemphasis on price and speculation. He called for a shift toward prioritizing technology and privacy, stressing the creation of decentralized and private systems to counter government authority.
EU governments are on the verge of approving the contentious "chat control" bill, which would require providers of messaging and chat services to automatically scan private messages and images for potentially problematic content. Concerns have been raised about the impact on privacy, end-to-end encryption, and the potential for indiscriminate surveillance. Pirate Party Member of the European Parliament, Patrick Breyer, warns about the potential consequences, including jeopardizing secure encryption, violating fundamental rights, and the challenges associated with safeguarding user privacy. More information can be found on Breyer’s website.
Events
An independent film featuring Monero, supported by the community, is set to premiere at the San Diego International Film Festival on October 21st. This film, titled "Límite," was showcased at MoneroKon in Prague, with additional screenings scheduled at various upcoming festivals, including the Ojai Film Festival, Aesthetica Film Festival, Anchorage Film Festival, and Havana Film Festival. Community support has played a vital role in bringing this project to the big screen, so go check it out if it’s showing in your area! More information can be found here.
A Monero Research Lab (MRL) meeting will take place on Wednesday, October 25th, 2023 at 17:00 UTC. You can find more information about the meeting here, thanks to the Monero Observer. The MRL meeting will take place in the #monero-research-lab channels if you want to lurk in real time.
The next MoneroKon 2024 Planning Meeting is scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 28th, 2023 at 17:00 UTC in the #monero-events channel. More information can be found here.
Cake Wallet is organizing a Monero Meetup in Chicago on November 2nd, featuring Monero developer Justin Berman as a special guest. With a limited number of spots available, interested individuals should secure their place promptly. Attendees will also have the chance to meet the Cake Wallet team. More information can be found here.
FixedFloat.com, in partnership with OrangeFren.com, will be sponsoring two Halloween Monero meetups. The first meetup is set for Andorra on November 2nd, 2023, and the second one will be in Barcelona on November 3rd, 2023. These events will bring together crypto enthusiasts and prominent figures in the Monero community, offering free mnemonic wallets, Monero stickers, and Halloween candy. Everyone and anyone is invited, so if you want to attend, check out this post for all the info.
The Seraphis Wallet Workgroup recently held a meeting on October 9th, and Monero Observer has offered a comprehensive summary, along with access to the raw chatlog for those interested in a deeper review. Check out Monero Observer's summary and additional resources for further insights on the meeting, here.
The next Seraphis Wallet Workgroup meeting is scheduled for Monday 23 October 2023 18:00 UTC. More information can be found here.
Exchanges and Merchants
Monero Market has expanded its offerings to include listings where you can purchase gold and silver directly from their website. Monero Market serves as an escrow-enabled marketplace that facilitates the buying and selling of various goods using XMR.
AllArk has launched the AllArk Store, a diverse marketplace for retail products that accept Monero (XMR) with the added benefit of exclusive discounts for XMR transactions. This global platform offers everything from electronics to luxury items, with a commitment to expanding inventory and supporting No-KYC Cash Out options, making it a valuable addition to the XMR ecosystem for privacy-conscious shoppers.
Monero Vegas’s Plinko, now officially out of beta, offers increased limits and dynamic ball color changes according to bet tier colors. Users can expect more exciting features in development and are encouraged to provide feedback, emphasizing the enhanced privacy achieved through their bets and payouts. Exercise caution when using the platform, gamble responsibly, and always check the betting limits before sending Monero.
MoneroMerch.com currently offers a variety of Monero-themed merchandise, including stickers, hats, beanies, bags, T-shirts, hoodies, flags, and more. Notably, 30% of the sales proceeds directly support the Monero Project's CCS (Community Crowdfunding System), making it a great way for Monero enthusiasts to show their support for the project. Check them out here.
Community Crowdfunding
Several crowdfunding proposals are awaiting community feedback before they can start accepting funds through the Community Crowdfunding System (CCS). For now, they are just proposals, but if they receive some positive feedback from the community they will be moved to a “Funding Required” stage so that they can accept Monero donations through the CCS.
Trading and Speculation
After more than a year of fluctuating around the $150 price range, Monero may be poised for an upward breakout following a recent retest of a diagonal support/resistance line.
Now, below is speculative conjecture regarding Monero's potential future price for your entertainment!
Performance
Notably, Alexander Schmidt highlighted that Monero's price has remained relatively stable over the last year.
Based on CoinGecko's data, Monero holds about 55% of the total market capitalization for privacy coins. Notably, Monero's value is approximately ten times higher than the second-ranked privacy coin on the list.
Total Monero in Circulation — 18,346,746 XMR
Monero Total Marketcap — $2,767,764,485
Coinmarketcap Ranking — #24
XMR/USD Price — $151 USD
XMR/BTC Price — 0.005311 BTC
LocalMonero.co Peer to Peer Street Price — $178 USD
Average Transaction Fee — 0.0003 XMR ($0.045)
Monero Network Hashrate —3.063 Ghash/s
Monero Mining Pools Hashrate Distribution —
Entertainment
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DISCLAIMER: This publication contains opinions for informational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Information may contain errors and omissions. Use solely at your own risk. The author of this publication and/or the authors of articles linked to or from this site may have financial investments that may bias their opinions, including ownership of Monero currency. Always do your own research, form your own opinions, and never take risks with money or trust third parties without verifying their credibility.
I love this.
I'm Econ Bro. The Nigerian Liberty advocate. I'm so pleased to be featured in this edition. I didn't even know I was going to be on it. Thank you
Brilliant