Interesting point regarding the precious metals but you're right, the amount of metal in the safe doesn't decrease.  It's also an interesting example given the recent IRS guidance on Bitcoin being "property" rather than a currency.

It's unfortunate that so many people are using cryptocurrencies as a vehicle to make a lot of fiat gain rather than to use the cryptocurrency as a currency.  We're not going to change the system if Bitcoin, Litecoin, Freicoin, etc..  are thought of as just another way to get rich and/or hoard and save.