So let me state a couple of things up front. First, not Christian, second this is my first post to Steemit! Like many people, I suppose, cryptocurrency was my Steemit gateway. Though I knew about Bitcoin, and had a vague notion of the concept back 6-7 years ago, I still never really "got it" as to what cryptos actually represent until very recently.
So about 3 months ago I got turned on to cryptos and researched them as much as possible. From a relative newbie view, and as far as my knowledge goes, cryptos are a digital currency that is represented as strings of unique digital "keys" within a certain type of pc code known as blockchain. What makes blockchain so unique, as it relates to it being used as currency is that when used within an open source coding system like Bitcoin, and others, they cannot be counterfeited. The best short paraphrase explanation I heard was from "Dollar Vigilante" Jeff Berwick. Who said something like; "blockchain is a ledger with an encrypted key that only you have access to". But to finish the thought, it also has public info of a sort which is used to verify transactions within the blockchain, ergo the ability to prevent duplicate transactions.
Once I "got it" about cryptos, I instantly understood, both the hope for our future, and threat to the fiat money system cryptos truly are. Because the heart of all fiat money systems in the history of the world, that we know, has always depended on the ability of the currency to be counterfeited, or in the instance of governments, to be printed in excess of the declared amount and value of stuff, like gold or silver, which back(ed) it. So at the end of the day, it matters not what our money is backed by. It only matters that it cannot be counterfeited. Every single currency in the history of the world, that we know of, has suffered that weakness. Even precious metals, not by direct counterfeiting, but by creating more money than there was gold/silver to back it up with. Back in the day, it was risky to be carrying around your gold, or storing it in your home. So give it to the Goldsmiths.
So no matter what backs our money. It seems to be an irrelevant point that has been elevated to great importance, maybe to obscure the fundamental truth. Currency must be COUNTERFEIT-PROOF in order to not devalue the peoples money, in essence stealing from the people. Cryptos, based on open source code, is the first currency in the history of the world that cannot be counterfeited. Let that sink in. I did for a several weeks after it hit me. And while people are making big money on cryptos as the fiat money systems of the planet near failure point and money is flooding into cryptos, and that`s fine, but I hope folks also step back and look at and promote the bigger picture with cryptos and the fundamental change in the nature of money they represent.
As mentioned, I'm not Christian, but I do like some of the parables in scripture. None more than that of Jesus giving the heave ho to the Temple defiling Moneychangers. Though I think theology generally focuses on the act of the Temple defilement in this case more than on the principle, and what a prophetic message about money and the future we should have heeded. If ever humanity has had a public enemy number one, it`s fiat, usury money. It has led to hundreds of years of the death, enslavement, war, and planetary destruction, and is in absolute hyper-mode at this point in history.
In summation of my first Steemit post, while cryptos alone will not save the world, the possibility of operating in the first incorruptible monetary system in history, certainly has to be a great starting point, in my humble opinion.
Dan
Very good post, interesting and so true.