The Monero Moon (Issue 64)
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 foresee
Table of Contents:
Development, Releases, and Technology
Monero recently celebrated its 3,000,000th block after nine years!
The development of the Seraphis wallet, aimed at implementing "next-generation" technologies for Monero, has reached its one-year milestone. While the progress is modest, with limited reviewed code and no prototypes yet, the development team is gearing up for more rapid advancements. The designs of Seraphis and Jamtis are evolving, introducing potential delays but also enhancing the technology. More information can be found here, along with an FAQ about Seraphis here.
Tevador has released RandomX v1.2.1, Monero's proof-of-work algorithm, after nearly two years of development. This release includes multiple optimizations and crucial fixes, such as optimizing randomx_reciprocal, addressing undefined behavior in the ARM64 JIT compiler, not utilizing the x18 register in ARM64 JIT, preserving the const qualifier when casting, introducing a JIT compiler for RISC-V, fixing GCC 13 compilation, enhancing RandomX commitments with double-hashing, and invalidating CPU I-cache on Apple Silicon.
Feather Wallet v2.5.2 has been released and it introduces several improvements and features. Feather Wallet is an Electrum-style Monero wallet. Notable updates include an offline documentation browser, enhanced error messages, a seed recovery tool for damaged Polyseeds, and a time machine bump to ensure a fully auditable build process. The release also offers official Flatpak support and a series of bug fixes, along with the adoption of updated dependencies, such as Monero v0.18.3.1 and Qt 6.6.0. You can download the latest version from the Feather Wallet website, and find more information about the release here.
ANONERO has released ANON v0.8. Anon is a privacy focused Monero wallet for android. This update incorporates support for Monero's Polyseed mnemonic seed library and includes features like "Send/sweep all," enhanced PIN entry security, UI/UX improvements, and a fix addressing an Android 14 crash. More information and download links can be found on their onion site.
Cake Labs has rolled out Cake Wallet v4.10.2 and Monero.com v1.7.2, bringing numerous fixes and enhancements. These include improvements to BirdPay, fixes and enhancements related to Nano, minor bug fixes, and improvements in accessibility. More information can be found here.
LocalMonero-AgoraDesk has released their mobile app v1.1.14. This release features a number of bug fixes. Check it out here.
BasicSwap, a private cross-chain decentralized exchange (DEX) that facilitates secure cryptocurrency trading without the need for third parties, announced the release of a Windows installer. This installer enables Windows users to conveniently access BasicSwap's free, unrestricted, and private trading platform. More information and download links can be found here.
If you're interested in contributing to the development of a Monero hardware wallet, there are more than 15 XMR in bounties waiting to be claimed for the Passport Monero hardware wallet project. More information can be found here.
Take a look at Rabid Mining's video covering the possible transition to Monero's in-development RandomX V2 algorithm in 2024. It is reported that preliminary tests show Ryzen CPUs will get +15% power efficiency with the new algorithm. More information regarding RandomX V2 can be found here and here.
hinto-janai has released Gupax v1.3.2. Gupax is a GUI that helps manage P2Pool & XMRig. This update introduces a window scaling option that allows for pixel scaling within a range of 0.1 to 2.0 as well as removes the oracle.netrix.cc from the list of remote nodes. More information can be found here and here.
The Monero Subscription Codes have been rebranded as The Monero Payment Requests, offering enhanced efficiency and flexibility for both merchants and consumers. This new protocol enables one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, and scheduled transactions while prioritizing privacy. Merchants can create unique Payment Requests, and consumers can easily manage them through their Monero wallets. The developer is also working on integrating Monero Payment Requests into mobile wallets and encourages contributions to further improve the system. More information can be found here and here.
The recently launched MoneroSigner website is now up and running. MoneroSigner, a Monero fork of Seedsigner, allows users to sign Monero transactions using an air-gapped Raspberry Pi Zero, offering the ability to create a hardware wallet from readily available single-board computers. Explore further details here, and watch MoneroTime’s MoneroSigner assembly video below.
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
If you couldn't make it to Monero Konferenco 2023, you're in luck! The Monero Community Workgroup has shared video recordings of the conference talks on their YouTube channel. You can access all the talks, including ArticMine's presentation on "Overview of Security, Spam, Scaling & Fee Markets in Monero & Bitcoin-Like Cryptocurrencies".
Crypt0 ₿ear just dropped their new record titled Orange Album 2! You can stream it on YouTube, or download it, along with their previous releases, directly from the mirror-to-onion link, and find associated hashes at music.makecryptoscaryagain.com.
Cafe Monero, a new YouTube channel and podcast about Monero for Spanish-speaking audiences, published “MESA REDONDA | Pagar en negro, Monero la stablecoin, Seraphis sin resumir, y la revolución cobarde”. Watch it here or below.
In a recent Monero Talk interview, Douglas Tuman spoke with Seth for Privacy about the concerning FinCEN regulations that could have labeled cryptocurrency users as "guilty until proven innocent" when utilizing privacy tools. They dissected the proposed regulations, discussing their justifications, potential impacts on financial institutions and users of privacy tools, the tools the regulations encompassed, including Monero's status, and the underlying motivations behind this move. The conversation emphasized the importance of opting out and constructing an independent economy beyond government-controlled fiat systems for Monero users and the broader crypto privacy community.
Monero Talk live-streamed Monerotopia #139, which included guest appearances by Abdullah and Brindel to discuss the Monero Nodo project, along with segments such as the Price Report with Bawdy, a Development segment with ComradeBlin, and XMR news of the week with Tux.
The Monero Standard #77: 19 Oct 2023 - 26 Oct 2023 newsletter has been published. Check it out to keep up with Monero news!
Revuo Monero Issue #190 has been published. Check it out for a weekly dose of Monero news.
Events
Cake Wallet is hosting a Monero meetup in Chicago on November 2nd at 7 p.m. The event will provide opportunities for networking and learning, featuring presentations by Monero developer Justin Berman and SeraiDex's Luke Parker. Attendees can participate in various activities, including a trivia session with a chance to win XMR. To access event details, RSVP is required. Additional 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.
A Monero meetup is being organized in Germany, near Frankfurt in Offenbach, on November 9, 2023, at 6 p.m. The event details can be found on the moneroof.info website, and attendees are encouraged to RSVP on meetup.com. Pizza and beer will be served, and the meetup will be conducted in English, with sponsorship from CakeWallet. RSVP options are available via SimpleX or email for those who prefer not to use meetup.com. Additional information can be found here.
The next MoneroKon 2024 Planning Meeting is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 4 November 2023 1700 UTC in the #monero-events channel. More information can be found here.
The next Seraphis Wallet Workgroup meeting is scheduled for Monday, 6th November 2023 1800 UTC. More information can be found here.
A Monero Research Lab (MRL) meeting will take place on Wednesday, 1st November 2023 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.
Exchanges and Merchants
MoneroSilver.com, now six months old, is undergoing significant changes. They're transitioning to the domain MoneroMetals.io, adopting a decentralized structure, and seeking community assistance. Check out the full update here.
Monero Vegas Plinko has introduced multiball support, allowing players to drop up to 32 balls, offering an enhanced gaming experience. Be sure to send the total amount, not per ball, when playing to maximize your chances of winning. Check out Monero Vegas Plinko here.
MX Graphics, a graphic designer, offers a wide range of services, including illustrations, character design, and logo design. They value working with clients who appreciate creativity and unique artistic results, and they happily accept payments in Monero. Explore their portfolio and learn more about their services on their Telegram channel.
Beware of Google Ads for "LocalMonero" that redirects to phishing sites. If you've clicked on these ads, your account may be vulnerable. Protect yourself by changing your password and enabling 2FA, and remember to always check the URL and avoid clicking ad links when visiting websites.
It has been reported that Binance suspended withdrawals once again, ending a six-month period of uninterrupted service. To reduce the risk of fund accessibility issues, avoid storing your Monero on centralized exchanges. Prioritize self-custody for enhanced security.
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.
A LocalMonero user claims they accidentally sent just over 108 XMR ($18K+ USD) to the Monero General Fund address and is looking to reclaim their funds due to it being a copy/paste error.
AllArk has recently incorporated crypto crowdfunding into its platform, offering an alternate funding option for developers, creators, entrepreneurs, and innovators. To initiate your crowdfunding campaign, just get in touch with AllArk via Session or email, and they will gladly assist you in the process. More information can be found here.
Trading and Speculation
For the second time this year, Monero is attempting to break out upwards into the cloud. A successful close inside the cloud could result in an edge-to-edge move, with the price potentially moving up to ~$300.
XMR/USD has been putting in higher lows since June 2022.
Performance
Total Monero in Circulation — 18,351,788 XMR
Monero Total Marketcap — $3,139,881,915
Coinmarketcap Ranking — #24
XMR/USD Price — $171 USD
XMR/BTC Price — 0.004984 BTC
LocalMonero.co Peer to Peer Street Price — $175 USD
Average Transaction Fee — 0.0003 XMR ($0.045)
Monero Network Hashrate —2.45 Ghash/s
Monero Mining Pools Hashrate Distribution —
Entertainment
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Have we missed something?
Please contact me if you believe I have missed an important piece of news, or want something included in a future issue.
Support Monero
Want to help contribute to the Monero Project? Developers, marketers, event coordinators, translators, Instagram personalities, meme creators, and public speakers — whatever your skills may be, it is extremely likely there is something you can do to assist. Reach out to the Monero community on Reddit, IRC, GitHub, Twitter, or Telegram. The official Monero website is GetMonero.org.
Past Issues
Issue 63 Issue 62 / Issue 61 / Issue 60 / Issue 59 / Issue 58 / Issue 57 / Issue 56 / Issue 55 / Issue 54 / Issue 53 / Issue 52 / Issue 51 / Issue 50 / Issue 49 / Issue 48 / Issue 47 / Issue 46 / Issue 45 / Issue 44 / Issue 43 / Issue 42 / Issue 41 / Issue 40 / Issue 39 / Issue 38 / Issue 37 / Issue 36 / Issue 35 / Issue 34 / Issue 33 / Issue 32 / Issue 31 / Issue 30 / Issue 29 / Issue 28 / Issue 27 / Issue 26 / Issue 25 / Issue 24 / Issue 23 / Issue 22 / Issue 21 / Issue 20 / Issue 19 / Issue 18 / Issue 17 / Issue 16 / Issue 15 / Issue 14 / Issue 13 / Issue 12 / Issue 11 / Issue 10 / Issue 9 / Issue 8 / Issue 7 / Issue 6 / Issue 5 / Issue 4 / Issue 3 / Issue 2 / Issue 1
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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.
This is super helpful! Thank you for compiling all of this in one space.
Excellent.