I'll never forget when I finally "got" cryptocurrency and the purpose of it. It took multiple exposures. I heard Bitcoin in the news, I even began hearing of other cryptocurrencies like Litecoin, but I could not understand WHY these currencies existed. I thought I understood the "ideal," to have a form of money that was instantly transferred by software. I didn't understand why it was such a big deal and why people would be willing to pay money to get a hold of it.
Everything changed and finally "CLICKED" once I saw links to Bitcoin casinos. It wasn't about the gambling.
It was about government control and how everything is connected to currency issuance. It was about the power of saving and deflation. It was about the fact that people could issue their own cryptocurrencies, get funding, and create their own sub-economies (just like the STEEM economy.) I couldn't stop thinking about it, and still can't stop thinking about all the different possibilities and where the cryptocurrency universe can go from here.
There is unlimited freedom and unlimited potential no matter how hard ill-meaning governments try to stop it.
Well-researched, well reasoned, and well written article. Bravo!