Miners occupy a powerful and yet somewhat isolated portion of rapidly evolving bitcoin ecosystem. For many people in the Bitcoin ecosystem, making the technolo

Miners occupy a powerful and yet somewhat isolated portion of rapidly evolving bitcoin ecosystem. For many people in the Bitcoin ecosystem, making the technology successful is about more than personal enrichment. A lot of folks see Bitcoin specifically (because of its present success) holding the potential for big changes in a shorter period of time. The people I've spoken with don't mince words: in general serious miners compete against others to make money, not societal change.