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Many a crypto enthusiast these days may be feeling just like this:

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As there seems to be little going on in the way of real, measurable progress these days—

in terms of expectations based on projections from developers and various alt-coins—many are becoming discouraged, and some are even losing hope. The way I see it, a lot of stuff is happening (this feels like a germination period, of sorts), but I also feel the pain of those wondering just what the hell is going on with their investment.

Here on Steemit, I’m sure we’d all like to know when the communities feature with SMTs, account-based voting, and oracles will be unveiled.

In the rest of the crypto space, there seem to be a thousand similar questions. Major banks, such as Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ (the largest bank/holdings company in Japan) has already developed its own blockchain, and will begin implementing a payments feature by 2020, and Bitcoin is now being advertised on huge billboards for major exchanges in downtown Tokyo.

The problem? All of this is centralized. All of this is so heavily regulated that much of the utility of the technology—if not all—is being removed.

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Germination, and Fast-acting Markets

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Well. Stuff is in the works. Sure we have to face obtuse state regulations, a preponderance of vaporware shitcoins, and seemingly endless empty “promises.” I have to remind myself of two very important things, though:

1. I’m way better off than I was before, thanks to this tech (i.e. actual sound money I can control without interference.) This is not just because I’ve been helped financially, but because of the community I’ve encountered surrounding crypto, and the positive change in lifestyle this has brought about.

2. This shit is like the internet. It’s here to stay. Remember when that dumbass Paul Krugman stated that the internet would have no more impact on the world than the fax machine? Well...remember that.

Ver-ily I say unto you...

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In my recent interview with Roger Ver, he stated:

"Governments move slowly, the market moves fast. So if we can move to have the entire market adopt this as money before the regulators even know what happened, that's it. We won."

~Roger Ver

This is basically it, right here, in a nutshell.

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Steady Steem.

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Yet unfulfilled expectations, sideways markets, and depressing state regulation and co-opting aside, one thing remains an intriguing point of positivity for me. The Steem price, even while other major coins are falling, seems to have some real confidence behind it. It has been holding relatively steady in every storm.

So, as this seed continues to germinate, and we continue to keep our eyes on devs and watch for actual delivery on promises (products), remember that innovation in this space can be done by anyone, and any venture that does not deliver may be subject to failure, to be replaced by a better one.

Individual actors are the market, so don’t forget to keep acting toward your goals. In order for a market to exist, market actors must be able to trade freely. Times may be challenging now compared to the exciting pumps and sensations of months past, but I take this steady sideways boring shit as a sign that something big is about to change. Viva the free market. Viva sound money. And viva voluntary human interaction.

~*~

~KafkA

!

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Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DLive and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)