[ohyeshedid]

This is something I've understood for awhile; I agree with you in all but timing. I think the original idealism behind crypto-currency started to die when the first providers and vendors started accepting bitcoin for services or products.

Those first few folks made a decision, either consciously or subconciously, and it was based on how much 1btc is worth. Ideologically, it's worth 1btc. So either they accept that, or they themselves begin to shape the exchange rate to other currencies.

The beginning of the end was probably well before that; it started with whoever the first person to exchange btc for other currencies was.