Just wondering, is somethink like RoboSats possible in Monero (Robonero?). The source code is open source (https://github.com/RoboSats/robosats/blob/main/federation.md) so it should be possible to make Monero compatible, just like Bisq was made compatible through Haveno.
I never used LocalMonero because it seemed a bit intimidating, but RoboSats seems friendlier and the Tor by default and per trade anonymous robot feature seems more privacy preserving than LocalMonero. It also has a Telegraph plugin. Liquidity would be an issue, but there’s no reason it has to rebuild the wheel. Simply provide a Haveno or BasicSwapDEX or Serai backend and expose their liquidity. Eventually, the Monero to Lightning code that was recently published could be integrated, so in theory the Bisq network could also be integrated for trades.
There’s been little incentive to port Robosats to Monero until now, but since LocalMonero is going, and BasicSwapDEX has stated they want a website front end, this is a good opportunity to use a technology that’s already open sourced, distributed, and been proven to work. And since its starting off after Haveno/BasicSwapDEX/Serai it can rely on the existing ecosystem rather than build its own from scratch.
We have had customers actually tell us about this site and they find it very confusing to use.
Here’s instruction on use: https://learn.robosats.com/read/en/
I think the key issue is the lightning network and the lack of user state so they user doesn’t know how many steps there are or where they are in process. Getting rid of lightning solves parts of the issue. The user state issue is a newbie UI mistake that most DEXes have solved by including something basic like providing the steps involved in the sidebar, highlighting where you are in the process and how to get to the next step. What I found intimidating on LocalMonero was the openness of it and the fact that may ads requested either KYC or to use Telegram (which I have no need of installing). The two extra layers on anonymity in robosats discourages KYC or use of 3rd parties to discuss the transaction. The discussions can take place on an ID-less chat like SimpleX which is integrated. I believe that SimpleX supports plugins to allow for automation, so crypto-to-crypto trades can be done without user intervention.
The point I’m trying to make is that in the absence of LocalMonero, it is possible to build a replacement using existing technologies (Tor,Robosats,SimpleX,Haveno,BasicSwap,Serai, etc), in a more private, anonymous, an easier and less intimidating to understand technologies.
A bounty may be appropriate for this to get someone interested to put in the time and effort.