So, the 2024 ETF and Halving hype actually paid off. Bitcoin is at highs we used to just dream about, and it's a legit asset on Wall Street's books. We won.
But now that the suits are running the show, the vibe is... sterile. The wild, revolutionary energy is gone, replaced by corporate custody solutions and regulatory chatter. The cypherpunk dream feels like it's been traded for a spot in a 401(k).
Is this what "making it" looks like? A higher price tag in exchange for its soul? What's the point if Bitcoin just becomes another toy for the system it was supposed to challenge?
Was Bitcoin really supposed to challenge and compete with the banking system? I really don't know. The early BTC developers were idealists and cyberpunks, but maybe their dream was too naive. The banking system cannot be destroyed by a cryptocurrency.
OP, you are mistaking the price with the technology. This is a rookie mistake. The technology behind Bitcoin is still strong. The price went up because of the ETFs and the hype around Trump's "strategic crypto reserve". Most people are into Bitcoin for the profits, there's nothing wrong with this. I don't think that the soul of BTC was changed.