[Analemma_]

> if USD were to fail, yet other world currencies stayed afloat,

This "thought experiment" amounts to "suppose I'm right; then I'd be right wouldn't I? Checkmate."

The entire question here hinges on whether there could be scenario where the USD— and only the USD— collapses, without causing so much chaos that cryptocurrencies also become functionally useless. I would argue there is no such plausible scenario.

[mattdesl]

Sure, if the entire world economy collapses and we go back to the dark ages, crypto (and the internet in general) will be functionally useless. It seems like a given.

I am imagining a scenario where USD fails, but some other state currencies (and the internet) continue to exist.