So, BTC is now the standard.

Once critical mass is reached, there's no going back.

Central banks will never switch to hoarding platinum, and global treasuries won't stack anything other than BTC (in meaningful amounts)

The best medium of exchange is the most commonly-accepted one.

Personally, I wish XMR was the first, but it is what it is.

> It's better to be first than it is to be better

BTC is a solid protocol that has stood the test of time.

Are there any good privacy lighting protocols? I was hyped when I first saw Strike. Great UI/UX. Then I read the privacy policy and took a pass.

BTC is great for storing wealth, but XMR is my preferred medium of exchange. Mostly just for VPN, VPS, and hacker shit.

Does anyone here, outside of El Salvador, actually use BTC for payments, for actual goods and services?

I think that's where BTC maxis should be focusing their attention if they really want to replace fiat. Unless settling for "digital gold" is the accepted endgame.