[sbenitoj]

I think that if this is true, it'll ultimately be a good thing for Bitcoin -- increase awareness, incentive more miners around the world, etc. The crash would hurt, but it would be temporary -- digital scarcity is here to stay, and network effects matter. This isn't my ideal scenario for spreading awareness, I hate to see anyone lose money, but it's better than central banks continuing to dominate the worlds' monetary systems for the rest of eternity (which isn't going to happen!)

[burnte]

Indeed. Busts help shake out weak players and snake oil salesmen. Bad companies go belly up, releasing proven employees and resources. Government and business coexist in an ecosystem, a balance is necessary between the two or one grows too powerful, choking the ecosystem. Booms and busts are natural weather cycles. Busts are like a hard winter, they weed out the entities without the necessary fitness to survive.