Nobody controls open-source project.
Eh, people must learn - cryptocurrencies were created not for centralized development or product/service, but for a collective intelligence of people, who can/could make something better, with all people from the world make it even better.
Because of this you can fork any project you want and start your own network, with part of old community or with new community.
And now for what cryptos are used? Obviously Pump and dump, because it's unregulated market.
Obviously it wasn't a vision of early developers (or at least I hope it wasn't).
You are completely, 100% right.
Every exchange is a rape from the idea about bitcoin, and in some part, blockchain.
Selling a bitcoin for an euro or us dollar is raping the system.
I buy a meal in Thailand, and I wish to pay in Cryptonite. When my wife in Belgium need a meal, I wish to send Cryptonite, and she can buy her meal, paying in Cryptonite.
I hate it, a believer in blockchain, when i transfer to us Dollar or Euro, or Thai baht, or ringit