The cost of compliance is a serious issue, true. I would hope that at least some states recognize the value in letting the experiment play out without interfere

The cost of compliance is a serious issue, true. I would hope that at least some states recognize the value in letting the experiment play out without interference, as with the early days of the internet, but with real money on the line it's harder to dismiss as a mere toy. However, I wouldn't neglect the "gray market" use cases of Bitcoin: things that happen outside the law, but are not as nefarious or blatantly illegal as Silk Road. Immigrants sending money home to their families, secondary savings accounts for those in countries with unstable currencies, etc.