I've always thought that Banks and corporations and countries could just circumvent the burgeoning cryptoshpere and just create their own blockchain currencies. Venezuela or AppleCoin for example. The middlemen want to stay in the middle. And as all economies are based on trust and perception it's pretty easy to confuse the masses and spread FUD in an effort to gain control.
You have made some good points and I like your last man standing line, of course, the world would be in the midst of chaos and wreckage if that day came. Money might be the least of your worries in that moment.
Yeah, no need for middle man, they always take a cut, like exchanges. Yeah, in a crash of civilization, you want physical. I have gold and silver to help :)