[cool_dude85]

Why's it surprising to see anti-market sentiment when we've been given a very clear look at how the free market has operated in the crypto space sans government regulation? The whole ecosystem has been dominated by grifts, outright scams, rug pulls, ponzis, unregulated gambling, etc. etc. with no end in sight. Why didn't the free market step up?

[palmfacehn]

It is surprising to see these sentiments on a site ostensibly for entrepreneurs and builders.

If you'd prefer a centrally planned and regulated economy, that is a different discussion. From my side, I believe you should enjoy your views and the living situation which accompanies it.

Not interested in arguing the virtues of either approach here. Taking exception with the inaccurate characterizations is as far as I go. If you believe an economy driven by central bank policy is a free-market, I'm not sure there's much more we can say here.

[oblio]

Ummmm... You live in a regulated economy.

Even the US economy is a capitalist system with government intervention.

[zztop44]

Because the word “free” famously has only one meaning, and everyone agrees what that is.

[palmfacehn]

laissez-faire if you like

[AnthonyMouse]

> Why didn't the free market step up?

It did. People learned that there were a lot of scams and now the market for suckers is drying up. This is a typical pattern: Problem occurs, market responds to problem and results in improvement, government simultaneously responds to problem and has no effect or makes it worse, people point to improvement and credit new government regulations or lack of improvement and demand even more government regulations. Then we get stuck with a bunch of burdensome new rules because Something Had To Be Done.

Notice also that all of the stuff you're listing is fraudulent and already illegal. If regulations work then why didn't they work?

[dleavitt]

Not to mention the innovations that voluntary regulatory standards plus enlightened self-interest have enabled in the manned submersible space.