[mwwilson]

Would you mind elaborating on why you see a "non-problem" as far as cryptowhatever goes?

I see a lot of fraud in the space, and it does seem like there's a lot of inefficiency in different solutions. However, it also appears to me to be an unavoidable continuation of a decentralization effort that kicked into high gear with the printing press. This process seems to have on average improved life for individuals, and so I have trouble seeing anything that moves decentralized solutions forward as addressing non-problems.

I am aware that my knowledge and understanding is quite limited and prone to error so I'm curious as to how you have come to your position.

[Nursie]

Please tell me - why is decentralisation a positive here? Why should I care about it and what does it get me?

[mwwilson]

For you specifically, I have no idea. I suspect we're at least a decade out from these technologies being reified enough to make decent forecasts as to where they'll actually lead. Undoubtedly there will be those who benefit and suffer disproportionally as has been the case with all technology. It should be noted that I'm not specifically speaking to Bitcoin here, although the Bitcoin protocol/network opened up the space for everything that will follow.

I see a lot of potential for decentralized tokens/governance-models to alter the way humans organize themselves. The closest historical parallel I see to this technology is the corporate charter. Where the corporate charter allowed for the decentralization of the power of kings & military decentralized token systems act on the power of the Nation State & Corporations. I don't know if you should care about it, but the technology is here it will be used and abused whether you care or not.

I think the broadest possible beneficial effect to the average person of this technology is the potential to reinvigorate what historically might be referred to as cooperatives or unions. To be able to self-select into pooling and multiplying your efforts with like-minded people on a global basis is a huge change from being the previous geo-spatial-political limitations to organization and cooperation.

Of course, there's nothing to prevent people from organizing around values like racialNationEugenicsCoin so there's plenty of potential for harm too.

Then there's the potential multiplier effect that you get out of this technology. It's not inconceivable that people on this forum could create a game or service that leverages decentralized tokens to accomplish what in the old paradigm would require lots of human and financial capital to achieve (think online game's, Uber, E-Bay, AirBnB). This efficiency of effort could potentially be used to further concentrate value than under old models or to require less value extraction from users. This particular effect is, I suspect, why in it's nascent state the technology is so pregnant with potential for scams.

Anyways I've gone on for too long, but that reflects some of my thinking. I'm not invested in crypto outside of, an admittedly limited, knowledge investment. I'd really love to have my mind changed but haven't come across a solid argument for how this tech isn't going to effect our human society as much as any of the related tech that's come before it.

[Nursie]

I appreciate you taking the time to answer, but I don't really see anything concrete there.

I'm really not sure how tokens or 'coins' would/could result in the benefits you mention. Global communications networks certainly have revolutionised global cooperation in ways not before possible. I'm just not seeing the value-add of cryptocurrency here.

> It's not inconceivable that people on this forum could create a game or service that leverages decentralized tokens to accomplish what in the old paradigm would require lots of human and financial capital to achieve

We've had game tokens for quite a bit longer than cryptocurrencies...

I'm sorry, but this reads like a fantasy more than any way in which blockchain technologies could actually enable anything.