But the big difference is, if the government loses, they just fire up the printing presses and away we go. If you lose, you'll have a choice between the chinese cat food, or the indian cat food when you go to retire.

As for what I'm getting paid for, as you said, my capital. I'm also getting paid for my risk. The more risk I'm willing to take, the more rewards I can reap. It's no difference than starting a business. You put in the time and effort, and you may be able to reap the rewards if it's successful.

Edit: I just wanted to add that crypto is kinda fucked up. It's not a conventional investment tool. It's still very difficult to cash out in any meaningful way, so although it looks great on paper (yes, I'm holding some) I'm not convinced it's as great as people say.

But the big difference is, if the government loses, they just fire up the printing presses and away we go. If you lose, you'll have a choice between the chinese cat food, or the indian cat food when you go to retire.

As for what I'm getting paid for, as you said, my capital. I'm also getting paid for my risk. The more risk I'm willing to take, the more rewards I can reap. It's no difference than starting a business. You put in the time and effort, and you may be able to reap the rewards if it's successful.