So many of the posts and discussions I've seen lately about bitcoin's recent developments seem to be obsessed entirely about short term market price movements, to the exclusion of consideration regarding the technical merits, as well as the practical use value of the crypto coins in question.
So it makes me wonder, what are people's real reasons for getting into crypto? Are we here to gamble, or are we here to create a new economy that actually functions? I suggest that anybody who thinks it's just about buying crypto for USD, with the only goal of selling it back for more USD later, whether in the short or long term, really doesn't understand what crypto's original purpose is about. Furthermore, if too many people are thinking like this, their obsession with just turning it into more USD will result in what they fear most: a crypto market crash.
What's needed for crypto to really succeed is more people and businesses willing to exchange goods and services directly for bitcoin, litecoin, ethereum, or pick your favorite coin. That way, the currencies will be backed by the real value of everybody using them; when you can get real products and services for your coin, it won't matter quite so much if the USD market crashes.
That's not to say exchanges don't have their place, as this helps with the transition from old economy to new, and provides a way for people to translate into units they are familiar with. Just don't fall into the trap of believing that's the end-all and be-all of the crypto world...