In my opinion, the hasty jump from bitcoin to VBcoin and others essentially bypassed the built-out of layers on the top of bitcoin.
Nobody ever expected bitcoin to do everything, but if financial rails were built on bitcoin first, it would have been much more "organic", imho.
Currently, "crypto" (apart from btc) is a disorganized mess with, unfortunately, lately developing criminality, like recent 'sniping', etc.
So, my position is that s-tcoin took something from btc, and gave almost nothing...for now.
Yeah, as an exception, perhaps they increased the velocity of money because people were constantly moving between s-tcoins and btc and then stables, as was rightfully noted, but i am not sure how important it was as far as the market size is concerned.
I think in the 2011 to 2021 era shitcoins were helpful. They created the need for exchanges which boosted to liquidity of btc and allowed for trading of it and hodl of it.
since eth split and left pow shitcoins in general draw. btc bigly.
Now if you want to argue zero coins just btc would have been better yeah maybe.
but it is not what happened.
One could argue that 3 blocks an hour and slowing the 1/2 ing would be better but that is not what happened.
the reality is shit coins were a driving force for many years but they are not way to common and do not help btc in general.
so 2009 to 2011 btc and very slow growth
2011 to 2017 btc and shit coins very fast growth2017 to 2021 btc and shit coins and slower growth
2021 to 2025 btc and shit coins slower growth.
if you believe 2011 to 2017 shitcoins were not helpful I disagree.
If you believe 2017 dec to now shitcoins were not helpful maybe
if you believe 2021 to now shit copies hurt digital wealth yeah they do.
but to throw out 2011 to 2017 dec as shit coins not helping digital wealth nah you are wrong.