I think the situation is good.
Indeed - hopefully it won't take a Gox-style event for it to happen, but I could definitely see Bitfinex picking up volume over the coming months. The near-term future for XMR looks very strong:
- RingCT
- GUI
- Bitfinex additional liquidity & decentralization (and wallet storage for the risk-takers)
Do we have you back in the XMR game, Risto?
I know it's a long-shot but I'd add to that list FluffyPony's going to speak to coinbase in January too.
Probably has very small chance of happening BUT if Brian Armstrong *really* wants to make a name for himself as a serious mo-fo in the crypto space, adding Monero support for coinbase customers would be an epic, awesome, totally out-of-the-blue amazing game-changer, LOL, especially in light of all this recent hullaballoo over the IRS trying to muscle info out of coinbase on all their customers.
Coinbase is largely persona non grata in crypto space for a long time now, after all the shit they've pulled over the last few years, BUT doing THIS would totally redeem them, at least in my eyes.
Yeah, I know... snowball's chance in hell of actually happening BUT can you IMAGINE what the IMPACT would be IF it really DID happen???
At the end of the day it's business and XMR is an earner. I don't think they will jump immediately, but opening communication channels is a good idea and never hurts.
I think they might look at Bitfinex's volume and be non-plussed about it, but if (when, rather) it picks up, then the need to consider it will renew and the obvious privacy factor may or may not be of interest according to how Coinbase sees its own position in crypto long-term.
It would be good for XMR, but it's for them to decide how they see it fitting in. The volume justifies them considering it, certainly and XMR is growing and gaining respect constantly....