Blockchain =! Internet Proponents of bitcoin as well as skeptics love to compare bitcoin to the internet. A skeptic will say "bitcoin is in a bubble, it has to

Blockchain =! Internet Proponents of bitcoin as well as skeptics love to compare bitcoin to the internet. A skeptic will say "bitcoin is in a bubble, it has to burst because the dot com bubble did". Then a supporter will rebut saying "early internet companies also bubbled, but afterwords the amount of growth far exceeded the initial bubble." Frankly I don't think any of this is relevant. Blockchain is very impressive technology that solves the really tricky infrastructural problem of creating large secure systems. But unless your life involves building these systems, or you are unfortunate enough to live in a region without access to (or operating outside of for legal reasons) existing stable systems, blockchain will have have no noticeable impact on your life. Remember, the internet connected everyone in the world together. The blockchain makes large systems easier to secure. When comparing history to the present, pay attention to the differences, not just the similarities. On that note I'm going to bring in some more historical context that may also be questionably relevant, but at least is less spoken of. Many people today are still adjusting to the culture shock caused by the internet and computer technology in general. As this area is finally starting to settle somewhat (how many huge companies came up in 2000s vs 2010s?), everyone seems to be hunting for the next big thing. Is it virtual reality? Artificial intelligence? Self driving cars? Blockchain? Some kind of biotech? Investors are dumping money into all kinds of new ideas, hoping for them to change the world. And that's a good thing. But the last 20 years made innovation an expectation, so don't expect another internet just because it feels due.