Thanks for sharing! As you state, blockchain is a tool, and I believe it will transcend geographical, socio economic, and political boundaries.

If harnessed in the right way, blockchain has the potential to scale second and third world countries at a micro and macro level. Essentially jumpstarting centralized systems/processes and leapfrogging social classes. People can immediately start creating value as global citizens.

I think 2018 will be the year of bureaucratic pushback from the Fed, Wallstreet, and "disruptive" big tech companies like Facebook that sell our data and continue to show disdain for privacy. Microsoft already stopped accepting Bitcoin because it is "unstable."

Regardless, exciting times and I am glad to be witnessing it. I agree it could free humanity, in a sense. All the best