One of the things that has been holding digital currency back is the need to convert to fiat before buying physical goods and services. It is certainly possible to directly deliver services in exchange for digital currency but physical goods is a bigger barrier. However, with the mainstreaming of 3D printing, it may be possible to bypass both the payment and supply chain bottlenecks and deliver physical objects directly to the end user in exchange for digital currency.
Once this takes root, the existing middleman-based economy may be tossed overboard for much of what we need in everyday life. The Star Trek replicator will have moved much closer to reality. The peer-to-peer path from gold backed Quints to "Tea, Earl Grey, Hot" will be in place. What could go wrong?
Check out what's already possible today:
On Demand Printing Takes Penn State Team to Africa
It might even be possible to 3D print a meat-lover's pizza...
...or a concrete house!
Could this be what had Michael Taggart so excited at our recent meeting in Boise last week?
You ain't seen noting yet!