Haven't taken a serious look at crypto since 2012 and holy c#$@ has it changed. But looking around I've really been stricken by how little the ecosystem has diversified (on first glance).
I haven't been around crypto that long compared to you but I can tell that it has become more of an investment asset now rather than a currency. Institutional investors are taking over.
So I'd love to ask: Where are the big economic hubs in crypto outside of exchanges?
Gambling platforms.
I'm curious about the marketplaces for physical things and which communities are thriving.
Openbazaar.org announced they're closing last year but they got additional donations to keep the platform alive. I just visited their site and I can see why only a few are using it.
There are popular marketplaces like Amazon that indirectly accepts bitcoin. You'll have to purchase giftcards using bitcoin. Platforms like Purse.io allows you to purchase on Amazon and get 15% discount as an incentive.