[lxgr]

> Is it because they like to feel smart?

I believe that that's actually a big part of it. Many people have a desire to be (or at least feel) smarter than the average, to be ahead of the curve.

Cryptocurrencies, and its marketers, sit in a particularly effective sweet spot of finance- and technobabble (with a sprinkle of defiance of authorities and the status quo on top), catering to that desire.