2021 was a remarkable year for cryptocurrency adoption. A growing number of individuals began to understand crypto not just as a currency, but as a legitimate investment class. While price volatility remained, the market showed an overall bullish trend. Financial institutions and global regulators started paying closer attention, acknowledging that digital currencies are here to stay. Amid this evolution, Monero (XMR) remained the leader in the privacy coin sector. Here's a recap of Monero’s journey in 2021 and a glimpse into what 2022 could bring.
Highlights from 2021
– The Atomic Swap protocol for Monero launched in August 2021, enabling trustless swaps between BTC and XMR. Following its release, Monero saw an immediate price boost driven by investor confidence.
– Kraken, a major crypto exchange, delisted Monero for UK users due to increasing regulatory pressure on privacy coins. However, the demand for private transactions persists. Platforms like Tokocrypto and SiennaSwap continued to support Monero trading.
– November saw a milestone: the first successful atomic swap between Monero and Ethereum, expanding interoperability for XMR.
– Goldman Lampe Bank, a UAE-based private institution, became the first bank to offer Monero-based term deposits, providing clients with confidentiality and private asset storage.
– The Monero team reported vulnerabilities in the multisignature wallet code, demonstrating its commitment to transparency and proactive security.
– Cybersecurity firm ReasonLabs discovered that pirated versions of “Spiderman: No Way Home” were bundled with hidden Monero-mining malware. In another incident, an AWS server breach involved the unauthorized installation of XMR mining software.
– Monero closed 2021 at $228.82, showing bullish momentum during the final trading days of the year.
Monero Forecast for 2022
Despite cybersecurity incidents and market hurdles, Monero started 2022 strong. According to bitcoin.com, XMR had already gained 58% year-to-date, held a market cap of $4.4 billion, and ranked 44th out of over 12,000 crypto assets at the time. As of early January 2022, Monero was trading around $226.16.
As regulatory scrutiny increases, privacy becomes even more critical. Nasdaq.com noted a growing trend of investors pivoting to privacy-centric cryptos, with Monero transactions gaining traction.
Price predictions from various analysts for the end of 2022 include:
• CoinPriceForecast: $260
• DigitalCoinPrice: $335
• WalletInvestor: $321
• Gov Capital: $379
• CryptoNewsZ: $620
These estimates vary significantly — a reminder that cryptocurrencies remain highly volatile. Always conduct your own research (DYOR), follow the latest industry updates, analyze both technical and fundamental trends, and consider consulting a financial professional before investing.
Staying Secure in the Crypto Landscape
As more users enter the crypto space, cyber threats like phishing, cryptojacking, and malware attacks are also on the rise. Simply using a privacy coin is not enough — protecting your assets requires proactive steps:
• Always transact over a private or encrypted network, such as a VPN.
• Install reliable anti-malware and antivirus software across your devices.
• Store your funds using both a hardware wallet and a secure web-based wallet.
• Double-check website URLs before logging in — phishing sites often mimic legitimate platforms.
• Never share your seed phrase or private keys with anyone.
• Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails, even if they look authentic.
XMRWallet is a trusted Monero web wallet that’s completely open-source and free to use. Once you create your account, write down your seed and keys, and store them in a secure offline location. XMRWallet allows you to send and receive Monero instantly while maintaining full control of your privacy and funds.
