I have been reading your posts and am somewhat mesmerized by the breadth of your observations, explicit research and quite ordered analysis.  Many if not most of your conclusions will need to be judged by future outcomes, but they ring highly probable to my lay ear.  This brings me to the reason for me message.  I am absolutely new to crypto-currencies.  While I thought I knew little, now that I've been reading the the depth of this understatement is a bit overwhelming.  While I would like to enter into this market (for both finacial and sociopolitical reasons) I am struggling with the coalescing of control I see in bitcoin.  If at this point in time the only way to effectively continue the generation of bitcoin towards its intrinsic currency cap is through huge expenditure of resources, then only the "whales" are actually functional in the market.  This appears to be exactly what Satoshi was against.  If it isn't, it is something *I* am against.

For me to enter into bitcoin, my current options are to a) exchange fiat for it b) expend the resources to become a "producer" of monumental scale or c) provide services, knowledge or products in exchange for bitcoin.  While those are all perfectly fine options, I'm not certain I want to further bitcoin and it's increasing centralization.  What does that leave other than altcoins?  If altcoins, where does one even start?  While there are a plethora to delve into, most all seem to be less than useful or plagued with fundamental issues.  I am drawn to currencies that are constructed to try and withstand industrial scale takeover of mining such that the Commons can continue to participate in currency creation well into the future; keeping the currency truly decentralized.  I am a fan of anonymity in transactions as governments have proven all to clearly they are willing to exploit, break or create laws that favor their continuance of power and exertion of control on the populace.

What options would you point a new entrant into the cryptocurrency world look at?  Wait for a better market contender?  Consider a handful of coins that have existing merits beyond the rest of the pack?  Back bitcoin until an alternative emerges that isn't clearly ephemeral?  I truly am having a hard time picking out potentials (if only for research and not financial entrance) from a field I am only now becoming familiar with.  Any advice you could provide would be truly helpful.  There are many voices on the forums and in blogs, but not so many that are so rigorously dedicated to the facts and not their dogma.