When establishment joins anti-establishment...

Groucho Marx once famously said, "I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member."

I feel like this quote fits the tone of the crypto space during this era of odd mix between the rebellious cypher-punk underground that envisioned a paradigm shift in the economy and the suits of Wall Street and regulatory bodies now entering the space. It's an uncomfortable collision of worlds.

It was this uneasy mix, I believe, that caused a sense of disappointment and disenchantment at Consensus 2018.

It's inevitable when larger amounts of money start floating around.

Ears suddenly perk up among those with the power and control of money under the current paradigm when figures in the millions and billions start getting bandied about. The anti-establishment atmosphere changes when groups like Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan and the Rothschild's start showing an interest.

It reminds me of this dingy nightclub some friends and I discovered hidden away in a dark alleyway back in the day. It was dusty and dirty, but kinda cool because hardly anyone seemed to know about it and it was a place that felt like it was 'ours'. I remember returning to it some time later when new management had taken over, cleaned up the place and drawn in more crowds. It was more popular, but lost its appeal for us. It no longer had the niche appeal it once had when it was adopted by the masses.

Will cryptocurrency lose this appeal as bankers and wealthy Wall Street institutional investors join in the fray? It seems many are already not too pleased with the presence of the 'enemy' in their midst. Will the world of crypto get 'cleaned up' by 'new management' in order to draw in the crowds?

As we hope to see rapid growth to boost our meager portfolios, we may well be trading away the unique niche appeal that makes crypto special.

But I do have hope. For every Ripple or Fed coin that gets created, poses as a cryptocurrency, and is actually owned and controlled by a concentrated group of wealthy central forces, there will remain truly decentralized currencies like Bitcoin or Monero that simply can not be "taken over" by the institutional world (and if not those currencies, then others will spring up to take their place). The banking establishment knows about this distinction, but can muddy the waters to maximize profitability and control. Yet it is this key characteristic - a currency's ability to be decentralized - that will inoculate it against corruption by banks, governments, oligarchs, and billionaires.

In the near future, expect more big money to enter the scene - but notice that much of it will entice buyers away from true cryptocurrencies, toward "digital currencies" that are centralized and directly held and manipulated by a few wealthy elites. Keep this distinction in mind.

*This is not professional trading advice - it's just my opinion!

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image source:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-secret-words/