US hegemony is over. Get used to it.

The first 3 letters are unique for the English seed words, so you just need to encode 25*3 = 75 letters.

I also think it is worth writing them down in a way that is not obviously a crypto address. You can place 75 letters in a 9x9 square (with maybe some extra dummy letters) that looks like a common word puzzle, eg sudoku or crossword, in a specific order, eg a spiral. You can custom print a template or copy one from eg https://puzzlestream.com/sudoku/blank-grid.php .

The US dollar has lost about 98% of it's value since 1971 yet people still use it in trade rather than gold or silver or a better fiat like Swiss Franc. Don't underestimate the power of inertia. Just because USD has inflation problems doesn't mean XMR is about to take off. It will take hyperinflation or a currency crisis and even then better-known cryptos like BTC or LTC will be the first choice for normies.

I'm curious how he passed on the seed words to you. Did he write it down, give you the password for a password manager, put the info in his Will, transfer to your wallet address, or give you a hardware wallet? Did he just trust you with access to his computer data before he died?

If averages are published by a reputable website, shops can choose to use the average rather than "spot" price. In any case as XMR is more frequently exchanged for more stable goods or assets, the natural actions of buyers and seller will moderate fluctuations. However if you create a trading platform to trade averages vs spot prices that will tend to increase volatility, as short-term speculators benefit from volatility.

KYC is being used by many businesses as a convenient gatekeeping tool

The more important point is that the state has the gatekeeping and tracking power, they can see your transactions and refuse access because of "suspicious activity". The business is just "complying with regulations". If it was a business decision you could just find another.

Would you exchange your newly-mined BTC for the same amount from a MtGox or other theft?

There's a problem with audio balance towards the end (left channel only at 3:40). It would be a longer video but you could go into more OpSec - cookies/browsers, 2FA and password managers

With non-kyc exchanges and shops, and growing the XMR economy.

This is the only explicit mention of companies applying "risk assessment":

(Knox suspects she has ended up on a blacklist at Plaid, a provider of technology plumbing to large crypto exchanges like Gemini, Kraken, and Robinhood, leading to the repeated bans. Freya Petersen, spokesperson for Plaid, says no such list exists, but that all firms that wish to use its services are subject to a standard risk assessment process, factoring in the industry in which they operate.) -Wired

If you want to install & update a FOSS app that's not on f-droid there's also Obtanium https://apt.izzysoft.de/fdroid/index/apk/dev.imranr.obtainium

At some level it's the fear of backing the wrong horse. To feel safe you have to be a "maxi", and to be a "maxi" you have to deny anything else can work. Bitcoin is the first crypto most people find, and the "everything else is a shitcoin" message creates a self-reinforcing cult atmosphere. The fact that mot altcoins soon fail reinforces that.

Almost all bitcoiners are there for "number go up" profit, so the price volatility also creates a lot of anxiety. The ones that stick with it become very committed HODLers. It's a bit like an abusive relationship, the pain makes you commit more. Market psychology is fascinating, and is why emotional investors lose their money.