[0xmarcin]

Isn't this expected. Bitcoin seems like a completed project, you can fine tune it to get better perf, fix security issues. Any significant architectural change is basically impossible now without breaking backward compatibility. Not only that, you have to persuade miners to use the new code. I remember the hate around increasing bitcoin block size to 8MB (to allow for faster transaction processing, on par with debit cards), which lead to creating Bitcoin Cash fork.

Bitcoin is like git basically, it works, most of the crypto fans are happy with it. Non tech people are using nice UIs without any understanding what happens to their money.

OTOH I have friends that work "around crypto", they either work on new coins that provide privacy/speed/eco-friendliness or create exchanges or create other financial stuff like crypto robo-advisors that buy/sell according to user spec algo. The scene looks similar to what hedge funds are doing on major stock exchanges.