Fiat currencies keep losing value and are controlled by a small elite. On the other hand, there are open-source cryptocurrencies that cannot be inflated and work in a peer-to-peer network, without the need for a central bank or single administrator. Why pay attention to them and use them? How to do it?

These currencies keep gaining value compared to fiat currencies, because they cannot be created out of thin air as central banks do when it is in their interest. That is why people who save or invest in cryptocurrencies have a big advantage over people who save in fiat money.

But they are not just an investment tool; they are currencies that can be used to buy all kinds of goods and services. There are a large number of companies that accept cryptocurrencies. If a company does not accept them directly, it is often possible to purchase gift cards through companies that act as intermediaries¹. It is possible to live on your own only using cryptocurrencies; I have done so for some time and continue to use them in my day-to-day life.

Keep reading Cryptocurrencies are free-software money, so I use them

Ignorant people rant about the environmental impact of cryptocurrencies. They don't know shit. How many wars were created over fiat currencies and the power plays of politicians and central bankers?

Fiat currencies are inflationary, so they encourage economic growth (at what cost? At whose expense?). That inflation also attenuates the indebtedness of states, it is like an invisible tax against the poor and the financially uneducated.

Dumb journalists, central bankers and politicians try to hinder financial independence and privacy with bans and biased news. They have failed; they will not succeed. It would be like trying to ban precious metals.

There are cryptocurrencies that are trash, that don't provide privacy, etc., but you can't tar everything with the same brush. Moreover, the environmental impact is minimal compared to fiat currencies. There are cryptocurrencies that pollute more than others, of course. For those who care more about the environment, there are cryptocurrencies that do not use proof-of-work algorithms.