That brings me to my question "imagine a future without cryptocurrency Bitcoin and a world without digital payments".
Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are one thing, digital payments another, just think about PayPal for example, that has been created several years ago. And even more than moving money around bitcoin gave people the consciousness that they can be their own bank, they can actually own their money without relaying on anyone else. That's for me the biggest lesson I've learnt with bitcoin.
If bitcoin did not existed it would have been a huge blow to the world, it is true that compared to the size of the stock market bitcoin is small but that is not what I am really talking about.
Privacy and decentralization are under assault all over the world, governments are passing all kind of laws and regulations to steal those from us in their attempt to control everything, if bitcoin did not existed then there would not be any obstacle in their quest for complete economic control of their citizens, but with bitcoin there is an alternative, even if the fiat system never collapses and they reach their goal of knowing everything that happens on fiat, at least we will still have an alternative in which we can take refuge and gain some privacy back.