While like you I would like to see a direct option to use HIVE verse FIAT, I think crypto coin days will get here one day. One thing I have gotten into lately is the Index type funds on Hive-Engine. I even get some EOS and DOGE coin drips, slow drips but a little bit none the less. One of the newest funds is LBI, very new and based solely on the LEO Token. You can take a look at my wallet and see all the little bright green drips. So if you are looking for alternative style investment things they may fit a long or short term growth bill for you.
You know I do not really like leaving other peoples links, but this one may give you an Idea of where LBI fund is heading, and heck you and @penderis would make good guest authors when they get that up and running. https://peakd.com/hive-167922/@spinvest-leo/2021-s-vision-goals-setting-and-kpis-for-spinvest-leo-part-ii
I would have the same issues on Leo, Unknown and not mainstream.
Bitcoin, ETH, and LTC were at one point non-mainstream. If the world of cryptocurrency is to remain non centralized then at some point people are going to have to look beyond the top three. I have watched over the years as local banks have been swallowed whole by big banks in America, I have seen the beginning of World banks take over American Banks.
Will there ever be a real world use case of HIVE verse FIAT, maybe one day, will that use ever expand beyond the borders of the Hive Block Chain, I think it already is with LEOFinance, and a few of the games. Hive is being used to purchase tokens and crypto currencies and then being used as a Mutual type fund that pays dividends from value outside of the Hive Block Chain.
Yes it is small scale yet the concept has been running for a couple of years via the SPI-Token, and starting now with the LBI-token. One use of HIVE is as an investment vehicle, will it work? not sure. Should we try? I think so. It is one use case for HIVE that does not totally rely on the price of HIVE to grow.
For most people right now the only real significant use for HIVE is to convert it into their local currency and use it to supplement their living experience. This means that there is, for some, a very real world use case for HIVE.
For me learning about Crypto currency and about some investing is a use case for me. I do not have a lot of investment knowledge other than buying and selling of homes I have lived in. 30 years or more ago I tried to learn about investing and mutual funds and other investment vehicles. I have learned more in the last 8 months than in those 30 years, and there is very little risk to any collateral I currently own in the walking side of life. HIVE has allowed me to learn with out fear of loss of things I own other than of some HIVE that has been gifted to me over the last 8 months and before that of Steem that was gifted.