If you look at it from another perspective, assuming people will dump to profit the other half, which is likely, then they are likely to sell at 60% of the value of the NEM coin if it were to be 4B. Maybe 70% if they are lucky. But that may also create a larger distribution spread as there may be more entrants.
There are two things to consider here.
One is that NEM is quite fairly distributed with probably 1500 people owning (we assume many will own 2 NS and above). Doubling it and then letting them sell into the market can only spread the holdings more evenly. This is so unlike many other coins. It will create some velocity in the coin which bodes well. What we want is dilution of the holdings rather than hoarding. Doubling, if it is linear (which is not often the case), is effectively halving the value of a coin. It does not translate to halving the market capitalization. Hence there is no question of value dilution.
Secondly, if you look at a matured market like the equity market, there is frequent splitting of stocks with no adverse effects. The reality is tens of thousands are owning those stocks and the announcement logistics are more of a nightmare compared to our assumed 1500 stakeholders. Announcement are normally made with 1 or 2 months' notice at most. Their procedure is even worse than ours. We are automated and one can see the doubled value in the account on day 1. There is no such thing as having to register by such and such a date as in the stock market to be eligible for a second share split.
Further, in almost all stock splits the value is seldom less than half but on the contrary, they usually end up between 20% to 40% more in absolute value. That's the point I am getting at. It is almost for sure that the market capitalization of NEM will go up in value if we have more NEMs in circulation. Of course as I mentioned earlier in my post, we can never prove this because once rolled out, it will not be able to tell you if could be otherwise.
Have a think about that rather than pleasing anyone for the sake of superstition. Superstition may have been the reason for change initially, but if one were to ponder deeper into it, it gives us better insight into what it might be if we were to really increase it for another reason.
I don't think there is any confusion that we need to be worried about.
There are so many assumptions in here that this post looks more like sci-fi/ lets take the one by one:
"with probably 1500 people owning (we assume many will own 2 NS and above)."
Not true. You should know better, you are not a random user. There are well over 3000 users and hodlers of NEM so far
as there are far more users with
0.* of a stake than there are users with over one stake.
"Secondly, if you look at a matured market like the equity market"
Not true again and completely irrelevant, crypto markets have nothing to do with regulated equity markets. You might use similar words, but it does not mean the same principles always apply.
"in almost all stock splits the value is seldom less than half"
again not true, look at the above point. Pulling numbers out of thin air means nothing (hint: confirmation bias)
"almost for sure that the market capitalization of NEM will go up in value if we have more NEMs in circulation"
This goes against every economic principle there is in existence. Doubling the total supply of a commodity, asset or value DOES NOT raise said asset value, it rather tanks it. source: all of the central banks around the planet, their policies and economic history.
There is absolutely no reason for changing the coin supply so late in development other than human greed.
Apparently you do not know the NEM stake distribution / audit process and its results.
Also, you do not know about the stock shares' splits either...
Seems you like to create some FUD here.
When this discussion started (month? ago), I asked from devs, how difficult it is to change the amount of the coins. The answer was : it is very easy. So, there is no point to use the term "so late in development".