One of the biggest differences to me between Bitcoin and Monero is that Bitcoin assumes pseudonymity is enough for most, and leaves anonymity up to users/apps on top. Monero assumes the need for anonymity for all users, and utilizes the protocol to enforce that assumption.
Obviously we all have unique use-cases and threat models, but the Monero community’s approach resonates much more strongly with me — I want accessible privacy for the masses, and let people choose to opt-out as needed. You choose who you reveal to and how much, selectively.
"Privacy is the power to selectively reveal oneself to the world" - Eric Hughes
The approach the Bitcoin community and devs have taken opens the door for censorship of those on the fringe, and risks pricing out the poor and less technically savvy. That doesn’t mean it’s all bad, but that it puts a lot more people at risk long-term.
The minor downsides to the Monero protocol’s technical approach (less prunable DB, slightly more complex supply audits, slightly more complex protocol) are well worth it for what they bring — privacy for all in the form of digital cash in a world of quickly devolving privacy.
These are some of the core reasons I choose to contribute to, donate to, mine, and educate about Monero. It’s the tool and money I want for the world, and shares my ethos for what is needed to free users and allow them to take back their financial privacy before it’s too late.
