The arc of monetary history bends towards Monero
First, people realized that it wasn't efficient to run an economy based entirely on barter. So, gold and silver, which were naturally scarce, became the default medium of exchange.
Gold still wasn't optimally convenient to use for everyday transactions, so government-issued paper currencies, backed by gold or silver, were adopted.
Governments realized that they could have more control over the economy if their issued currencies were decoupled from precious metals, so they transitioned to using currencies that were not redeemable in gold or silver (fiat currencies).
Government-issued paper currencies were still less convenient than digital transactions, so cash became secondary to just swiping your card or wiring money between banks.
With a high level of convenience established, people became worried about the risk of inflation inherent in currencies with their value derived from government policies rather than scarcity. So cryptocurrencies, which were both digital and inherently scarce, became popular.
A group of people realized that the public blockchains used by the early cryptocurrencies were a problem, not a feature, so Monero was developed to maximize privacy.
We all understand why cryptocurrencies exist, and most crypto investors would follow the first five bullet points above. But I don't think that everyone understands the importance of the sixth point.
I personally foresee a future where almost all transactions are based in blockchain technology, but it's plainly obvious to me that Bitcoin or Ethereum can't serve this purpose. Imagine if paying for your groceries allowed the grocer to see not only your bank account balance, but your entire transaction history.
This is the huge drawback of a public blockchain & a serious downgrade from the less advanced technologies of credit cards, or cash, or gold, or even bartering.
As time goes on, more people will realize this. We saw this happen with the trucker protest in Canada, where Bitcoin wallets related to their movement were sanctioned by the government. I won't say whether or not I agree with the cause of those protestors, but it's true that their experience demonstrates the value of a currency that is digital, decentralized, AND private.
I'm just a passive investor who likes Monero's technology and sees this coin as having a unique role & potential. I'm in for the long run, since I believe that the first privacy coin to become popular is also likely the last - you can't have a high level of privacy with an upstart cryptocurrency, since the ability to obscure your identity relies on a crowd.
I'm excited to see where this project goes.