>>22913
>I know very little about Monero so please bear with me.
It's extremely easy to get educated on this topic.
https://www.getmonero.org/get-started/what-is-monero/
https://www.monero.how/monero-ELI5
Monero "sounds scary and hard" because it's a cryptocurrency, but as has been discussed several times before, if you're capable of opening a bank account, you're capable of using Monero (it is literally much, much easier).
Seabee, you're smarter than just taking at face value everything you see on the TV news, so please don't. The media only negatively promotes Monero (they often won't even call it by name, instead referring to it as an "anonymous cryptocurrency"). You hear about Bitcoin ALL the time, you almost NEVER hear about Monero. That is on purpose. TPTB don't want people to use Monero.
>As I see it the advantage to Monero is a place to hide unreported income
If that's how you choose to use it, sure. The advantages of Monero are many; privacy and self-custody being the most important in my opinion. Nobody but you can see your transactions (incoming or outgoing) or your balance. NOBODY. With fiat currency, your next door neighbor might not be able to see your balance or transactions, but your bank and the government most certainly can.
As for self-custody, this means that (unless you're stupid and use a centralized exchange), only YOU possess the wallet and thus the funds. Monero is not a "service" and does not charge a "service fee." There is no "Monero Inc." behind the scenes that can take away your money on a whim or if the government tells them to. You mathematically, cryptographically, permanently OWN your money -- period. You might be thinking of "transaction fees" which are how most blockchain based cryptocurrencies work - people donate their computing power to process transactions and get a small amount paid to them. This keeps the network decentralized. With Monero, the transaction fees are often fractions of a cent to a few cents. Go to your bank and try to wire $500 to someone and see what it's going to cost you (probably around $35).
Now, I'm a believer in cash too, but the "But muh cash!!! I prefer REAL money!" is so fucking flawed it hurts. 97% of US currency is ALREADY DIGITAL. When you look at your fiat bank balance, what you're seeing is a promise ("just trust me bro") and number in a computer (it doesn't exist as a stack of paper bills with your name on it). Cash is great, but not all transactions can be done through cash (e.g., we live on opposite sides of the country and I want to send you $100 for your birthday).
Furthermore, fiat USD in cash is 100% absolutely traceable. Monero is not.
Arguably, Monero is, under some circumstances, MORE private than cash -- there is no physical object, so we don't have to meet in person, or use the federal mail system, or risk leaving it at a drop location, etc.
People are so outrageously stupid about this topic, which is frankly shocking, because half an hour of research outside of phony, agenda-driven MSM news articles is pretty much all it would take to understand that, while not perfect, we have available to us perhaps the first truly private, secure, and self-custodial means of transacting with one another over great distances, with NO government or corporate oversight. And that, in my opinion, is pretty important and useful.
Jesus christ.