Does purely peer-to-peer refer to every single user, or just the bitcoin payment network? My reading of that statement is that purely peer to peer refers to the nodes that make up the payment network, not that every end user needs to run a node.
Every end user does not
need to run a node. Surely Bitcoin enthusiasts who are willing to spend money on dedicated hardware and top tier home internet should be able to run a full node though, right?
Or is it OK if it requires business level infrastructure and resources to be a fully validating peer on the network?
Fuck that.
Don't be twisting words you as well. It has nothing to do with "enthusiasm" but financial responsibility and sovereignty.
If you are to use Bitcoin as truly a local, peer-to-peer user, there is absolutely no exception but to run a fully validating full node.
If this is the only thing you care about bitcoin why don't you go use an altcoin that offers the EXACT same things and let bitcoin SCALES as it supposed to be?