Of course it does affect our economy. The mere fact that the system involves money; though in our case it is cryptocurrency until you convert it to one, it would certainly get to be a factor in the standing of our economy. Gurthermore, trades and direct selling using bitcoins would be good examples.
This is correct, and let us elaborate. By spurring interest in fintech and technology, there is a real world increase in funding via this vector. That private/ institutional investment provides much needed funding for research and development, with positive implications inside and outside of the crypto sphere.