I've been in crypto for the last 4 years and I've been a maxi for the last 3. However, I've always had respect for the Monero project. Can somebody make the case why Monero does not live up to it's promises / is a scam / will fail?
More specifically I'm interested in the hearing arguments about the following issues:
a) Is Monero as suited for it's stated goal of private transactions as it claims
b) Is it better suited to this goal than using properly coinjoined btc over Tor
c) Is Monero actually decentralized to a decent degree
d) Why Monero will fail in the long run
If I may throw my hat in the ring as well:
a) For now it is indeed, as far as everyone knows, suited for its stated goal of private transactions. It does work like magic money and you can't trace it
b) Using properly conjoined btc over TOR requires long-term commitment to not get it wrong. The emphasis should be put on "properly" here. Also, a TOR node can be malicious and be operated by an agency you wouldn't expect to be the operator.
c) It is a proof of work coin. I don't know the exact mining distribution right now, but the incentive structure is properly set up such that under pretty much most circumstances you should expect a sufficient degree of decentralization. Power over the network comes at significant cost. This does not exclude the possibility for various attack vectors to exist (51% attack)
d) This a question that nobody can answer. How good is the locker to your safe? Sufficiently good to protect your assets until the day it gets cracked. Will it get cracked? Maybe not, awesome. But if it does, it did well until the day it got cracked.