The world is quickly growing tired of the current economic system. As you rightly point out, the abstract 'value anchors' that fiat currency are tied to are insufficient and outdated. More to the point, we have very little knowledge about where our money comes from, where it goes, and who's really in control, putting us all (apart from the fatcats at the top of the pile) at a serious disadvantage.

In the post-depression and baby boomer generations people simply wanted to know that enough money was being made - they didn't care where it came from or who controlled it as long as they had enough in their pockets. Today's information generation wants a qualitative measurement - they want to know whether that money is coming from good or bad sources, and going towards worthy or unworthy recipients. Thanks to banks and governments, the flow of fiat currency is all too often shrouded in so much secrecy that this becomes impossible.

This is why blockchain technology is so popular with the switched-on generation of today, and it's why cryptocurrencies are the future. Finally, we have a totally transparent, decentralized record of every transaction ever made that's built right into the currencies themselves.

Psychologically speaking, I can only imagine that the more people have knowledge (and therefore, power) of a currency and its use, the more they will want to use it themselves. A new crypto-based economy is already here, and people are making millions off it right here and now. As soon as it really takes hold of the public consciousness and reaches the critical mass you speak of (and Steemit, as a blockchain-based social network, is by far the best means we've ever had of making that happen), governments, banks, corporations, retailers - basically everyone who uses money - will either have to get on board, or get left behind. Gold simply isn't as shiny as it used to be.