> what does PoW-consensus blockchain ledger make possible that isn't possible without it? Preventing double spends in a decentralized manner without a trusted

> what does PoW-consensus blockchain ledger make possible that isn't possible without it? Preventing double spends in a decentralized manner without a trusted third party. No other form of digital currency can do that. There is a possibility that PoW can be replaced with some form of PoS (proof of stake) but it's not certain if it works well enough. Note that I consider both PoW and PoS backed ledgers cryptocurrencies. > It's not a matter of what they've been better than status-quo broken finance systems. They're better than everything at the examples I listed.