The parable of the six blind men and the elephant can be seen as a metaphor for the Bitcoin community.

In various versions of the tale, a group of blind men (or men in the dark) touch an elephant to learn what it is like. Each one feels a different part, but only one part, such as the side or the tusk. They then compare notes and learn that they are in complete disagreement. The stories differ primarily in how the elephant’s body parts are described, how violent the conflict becomes and how (or if) the conflict among the men and their perspectives is resolved. In some versions, they stop talking, start listening and collaborate to “see” the full elephant. When a sighted man walks by and sees the entire elephant all at once, the blind men also learn they are all blind. (wikipedia)

The important search for the soul of Bitcoin

Its been a very long time between radical financial innovations, i.e. probably at least 500 years..

So its no wonder that there’s such a hunger to see Bitcoin and its Blockchain as a panacea for all manner of problems. It has served as a kind of clearing house for the pent up frustrations of anarchists, libertarians, and would be revolutionaries, which not surprisingly has triggered a lot of interest by the forces that are opposed to any change to the status quo.

“The RAND Corporation, an influential global policy think tank with strong defense and homeland security ties, has released a report titled “National Security Implications of Virtual Currency .” - Bitcoin Magazine

A PDF released by the RAND Corporation will make sobering reading for Bitcoin’s most ardent exponents, as it canvasses all manner of ways to eradicate from the planet, these pesky “Decentralized Cyber Services”, by “Non State Actors.”

Reddit [LINK] top comment: “If you remove all the noise it would be about 2 pages”

The issue of what Bitcoin really is all about has probably become even more topical to many Bitcoin observers following the latest installment in the ongoing pantomime often referred to as the ‘Block-Size Debate’ and the dramatic (apparent) exit of its erstwhile chief protagonist, Mike Hearn. But more on that later..

Bitcoin’s remarkably ‘broad Church’..

Among Bitcoin’s exponents, some saw the ‘greater good’ that could result from the unique characteristics of a new digital monetary system to spread wealth and enable new types of services.. Some saw a tool to actively undermine political systems and Banks. Some saw an opportunity to help Banks to benefit from Bitcoin’s many innovations. Some got excited about the potential for anonymity to trade in illicit drugs. Some rallied behind the core development effort, or ways to adapt the core ideas, others just saw an opportunity to make a ton of money.. Enter the Bitcapitalists

Bitcoin’s promise as a new kind of money protocol was clearly its most effective PR asset, but also arguably its greatest curse, as an endless stream of copycat alt-coins began to suck liquidity out of the Bitcoin ecosystem and into the wallets of the tech-elite, mirroring the disparity between rich and poor that exists in the non Bitcoin world..

The rise of the Bitcoin vacuum cleaners.. Bitcapitalist Type #1

They love Bitcoin so much, they create alt-coin crowd sales to hoover them up..

Any resemblance to real life alt-coin Cowboys is purely coincidental

The drinks and congratulations must have flowed freely on the night that hundreds and then thousands of Bitcoins gradually started to pour into the ‘exodus address’ of the first of the major Bitcoin copy-cat projects..

A perception then obviously settled into the minds of those present and scores of others around the world that Bitcoin’s early adopters were all too ready to part with their Bitcoins for the chance to get in early on the next big ‘virtual currency’ opportunity. i.e. ‘I missed out last time, maybe I can get in early this time?’