I don't think it needs to be beyond government control in the way you mean to be useful. It just needs to be beyond the control of corrupt actors, in government

I don't think it needs to be beyond government control in the way you mean to be useful. It just needs to be beyond the control of corrupt actors, in government or elsewhere. I don't mind the government being able to tax my crypto gains - I mind the people in it being able to bail out their golfing buddies when they gamble too aggressively on junk bonds. It's counterintuitive to think that a financial instrument that increases transparency would make people more difficult to govern, and it would - unless the government is very corrupt.