Part 10/13:
The core characteristic of this evolving ecosystem is decentralization and choice. Bitcoin and its offspring are not competing within the same environmental space as traditional fiat currencies. Instead, they create their own environments, niches where they can thrive without being absorbed by the old system.
Antonopoulos argues the proliferation of new cryptocurrencies—sometimes with seemingly nonsensical purposes—mirrors early human experiments with money, from trading toys to loyalty tokens. These small-scale currencies will often have limited scope but are essential parts of a broader, decentralized monetary ecology.