[ggm]

Ledgers and cryptographic chains and proofs aren't scam. But, the entire pig butchery and like, is scam.

POW is bad for the planet and turned out to have issues in 50%+1 capture. POS is dependent on real world value and constrains behaviour to loss of stake.

Quorum, usually overlooked. Your transaction is final!! Not if the quorum decides to repudiate.

Forensic accountants love cryptos. I row with one who said evidence chains are delightful even with mixers.

Went to meetings on the chain a decade or so back and the fin regulators said its a great mechanism if you distrust your peers, need to co-relate and don't want a regulator in the transactions. So as settlement logic between central banks, or for certainty in complex supply chains where people repudiate the 90 day settlement they can help. Or where middlemen take bites out of transactions as they flow but regarding that, the big vig on transaction processing suggests nothing is free.

Merkle was smart. The logical structure is interesting for all kinds of things. PQC in dnnsec includes models using them.