Fair enough, maybe this falls apart when we started talking about fiat currencies being exchanged directly for Bitcoin (i.e. when "real" money got involved). P

Fair enough, maybe this falls apart when we started talking about fiat currencies being exchanged directly for Bitcoin (i.e. when "real" money got involved). Prior to that really happening, it seemed like one could create new Bitcoin through mining, which was a conversion of computing power/electricity/time directly into crypto-currency value - not a direct conversion of fiat currency into crypto-currency value. With mining now being cost prohibitive, it's not as reasonable of an avenue of gaining Bitcoin.. and "real" money has entered the game - and with that, comes regulation.