I don't really see the cause-and-effect connection between the dev giving away the coins and the cryptocommunity growing stronger.
Imagine somebody gave you some weird, difficult to use and not very useful to you technological device - for example, a ham radio. Would you try to understand how it works and become a hobbyist radioamateur, or just pawn it for $500 at the local thrift store or something?
Yes, I would plug it in, read about it, make it work, then have it taken apart before midnight.... But that's just me.
Well, I first had to look up the term 'ham radio' but yes, I would probably do the same