There are several discussions on how blockchains could disrupt and streamline many industries. But what I don't see talked about enough is blockchain's ability to store value and how this very idea is a threat to central banks that we have been living with for at least 200 years.
Obviously most average people would love to see cryptocurrencies take over and overpower debt based monetary systems, and I see a lot of effort from many projects to create a more secure and anonymous currency that will put the purchasing power of money back in the hands of common people. However after studing the histroy of money and banking I feel that it's going to be a much larger challenge than most people think. Governments do not want anonymity, how would they tax us if they can't identify us? Central Banks probably don't care so much about anonymity but the growing prevalence of money they cannot control is a threat, and I believe that if this growth continues, subversive action will be taken to undermine our debt free currencies.
We must understand that most blockchain based cryptocurrencies, with the exception of bitcoin, are not actually currencies, they're assets. Bitcoin is an enigma in the sense that while it should be considered an asset because generally speaking you can't buy break or milk with it at your local grocery store as you would a currency (I know there are ways of doing this like TenX and Tokencard, but they are far from being ubiquitous.) But bitcoin is also the vessel used to invest in other blockchain projects which has established it as a currency in a sense.
What I'd like to see from this thread is blockchain applications that don't necessarily conflict with the status quo but rather contribute in a meaningful way to the system that most of the world is forced to work with. Projects like Golem, Ethereum, Civic, Factum, and Propy just to name a few, are working to disrupt existing industries that are not in conflict with the status quo, and yet can still give Steemians and believers in blockchain technology a way into investment without a huge barrier to entry or the knowledge gap you'll find in most financial markets.
Tell us your ideas! Speak your mind! Innovate and Contribute! How do you think blockchains will change the world?