With crypto-currencies a new ecosystem is emerging. Human rationale, emotion, and ingenuity are actively creating a new reality through the hive-mind free market. That's what economies really are: a physical representation of our collective consciousness. We exchange value for value, all subjective of course, but when each of us are happy with a sale or purchase it means we got what we wanted and therefore that exchange was beneficial, and beneficial to both parties. We individually participate in a constant chain of risk and reward systems with highs and lows that bring prosperity or financial loses, but the 'collective' and fractions of the 'collective' play a major role in our decision making processes. To understand what we are witnessing we have to look at all aspects of this movement: history, economics, psychology, sociology, nature, and even spirituality.
History
In 1913, America (the great freedom experiment), shifted into yet another debt based monetary system that has been perfected over centuries to financially enslave humanity. Simply, that means that we have based our understanding of value on perceived future value that does not yet exist through our labor. Everything from credit card debt to student loans to government deficits have built a structure based on imaginary numbers that we are only now starting to see the effects of. The devaluing of the dollar (or any centralized currency) is a silent, but deadly process that leads us to devastating financial crashes. Cryptocurrencies invert this long standing structure of "old money" by creating value through real contribution and work. We are shifting into a prosperity based monetary system where the tool we call "currency" is starting to reflect the real value of our passions; our blood, sweat, and tears, and our human creativity. We are, as individuals, our greatest investment and when we come together we can disrupt systems that are much bigger than ourselves.
Economy
Cryptocurrencies are the greatest socio-economic experiment of our time. We see people coming together, forming teams, and starting companies within different industries. There is a new Presscoin ICO that is trying to combat fake news by creating a reputation token for journalists. There are identity coins like Civic and SelfKey that want to encrypt and protect people's identity by only giving 3rd parties information that they truly need to verify who someone is. There are internet coins like Nexus Earth and Substratum that are redefining our understanding of a free and open internet: the database of human knowledge and imagination. There are data management tokens and privacy coins, and even medical and insurance coins, and none of these would be possible if the government was involved in this market. The reason that people are not afraid of starting up their own business in this industry is because there are no cumbersome licenses, tax forms, or other bureaucratic paperwork to file. Sure, some companies do choose to incorporate, but those that keep close to the new decentralized system of exchange can simply develop their project and present it to the people, trusting that the consumers and investors will do their due diligence when choosing who to support. Of course not all people will do the research needed to make smart investments, but that is the beauty of freedom. You are free to make a lot of money and to create something of value, and you are free to lose it all or fail in your en-devour.
Spirituality
Bitcoin is not just a new, secure, and advanced form of money, but it is also a revolutionary idea of financial responsibility. Collectively, we have the opportunity to take back control of our resources which leads to a better quality of life. We have a chance to learn and grow by adopting a new technology and understanding how value-transfers function in our society. It is well documented that once economic prosperity begins to flourish in a civilization that civilization quickly enters an enlightenment age, and that is simply because people leave survival mode and focus on ideas that are bigger than them. Crypto-currencies are just one of these sparks and they force us to truly look around and imagine what is beyond our personal existence, our limited experiences. This process of opening up leads us on a journey to spiritual evolution as our understanding of how we communicate unfolds through exchanges of energy, information, and inspiration. Once the macro reality is seen it cannot be unseen, and Wow! Let me tell you, the reality I see unfolding in front of us is truly magical.