Crypto

On a recent BS podcast, Haralabob argues for crypto. His points: it's math. Limited supply. Governments are overprinting money, devaluing currencies. Governments can't touch crypto. Crypto is gold for the digital age. 

I don't buy it. It's not math. It's perception. All money is perception. It's a store of value that is only worth something when everyone agrees it is worth something. 

On a practical level, I can't yet buy things in crypto. I can't pay my mortgage in crypto. Or buy groceries. They only reason for me to buy crypto is this idea that it will continue to go up in value. Therefore, crypto is an investment. I prefer my investments to be productive, ie stocks. Or, to think about it more broadly, my own skills and/or relationships. Those, to me, are the most productive investments. 

The best argument FOR crypto seems to be: a lot of smart people are in the space. Well...okay...that's good for them. How is it good for me? If I'm playing poker, I don't want to sit down with Phil Ivey and Daniel Negreanu. I'd rather play against schlubs. 

And as for the limited supply/can't trust governments argument - aren't real estate and gold more time tested protections? Or, international stocks?

I could - and probably am - very wrong about this stuff. But the real thing that makes me suspicious is that if crypto were so valuable, why would all the advocates be screaming it from the rooftops all the time? If I knew it were valuable, I'd keep my ass quiet, hope the price goes to near nothing and buy it all up. But the flipside is happening. Color me still skeptical.