Monero first started in 2014, when it became apparent that Bitcoin and Ethereum weren’t nearly as private as many hoped. Because blockchains are transparent, it’s easy to trace any transaction back to its original source. Monero, on the other hand, is designed to make senders and receivers completely anonymous, thanks to its advanced cryptography.
According to the Monero team, the token’s primary goal will always be privacy, with ease-of-use and mainstream accessibility being secondary goals. Therefore, you shouldn’t expect Monero to become a top 10 altcoin anytime soon, as it has no intentions of trying to beat Ethereum or Bitcoin. It’s always going to have a passionate following among the crypto community, though.