Bitcoin(and by extension the rest of the cryptocurrency space) is an enabler for speculation - in the specific case of BTC, on the price action of the asset as

Bitcoin(and by extension the rest of the cryptocurrency space) is an enabler for speculation - in the specific case of BTC, on the price action of the asset as more is mined, and on the cost of mining itself. Speculation's action - which is always crude when looking up close - has the effect of building a market where there once was nothing, and as BTC has grown crowded speculative activity has proceeded towards projects promising(if not necessarily delivering) additional features and social value. One of the major limitations of a pure debits-and-credits system like Taler is that it has limited speculative interest. It can't be gamed for returns on investment, so it can't initiate the boom-and-bust cycle.