3 Reasons Why Decentralized Money Matters More Than You Think | by Asira S. | The Capital | Mar, 2025

It’s changing who controls money, who has access to it, and how we might protect our future.

I wasn’t looking for the future of money. I was just trying to figure out what everyone was talking about.

At first, it was FOMO. Then, it was curiosity.

Crypto is everywhere. El Salvador made it legal tender (which means businesses have to accept it as payment, just like cash). The U.S. held a blockchain summit and billion-dollar companies have poured money into Web3.

So, I figured if this much attention and billions of dollars are flowing into space, I should at least understand why.

Some quick learnings:

• Bitcoin, Ethereum, and their cryptocurrencies aren’t just about money, they’re about rethinking how money works
• It’s not just for tech bros. It has real implications for financial freedom, privacy, and economic survival.
• It’s confusing as hell. The jargon is overwhelming and everyone online assumes you already get it.

And yes, a lot of us have no idea why it really matters.

Imagine if Venmo, PayPal, and your bank disappeared overnight. How would you send money?

That’s the reality for millions of people around the world.

But the problem isn’t just about access to banking (which is a huge problem). It’s about who controls the money itself.

Right now, when you send money, you’re not actually sending it. You’re asking a bank or payment processor to do it for you. They’re the middlemen, and they charge multiple fees, decide who can or can’t access their system, and have the power to freeze or block transactions at any time.

Decentralized money removes all of that. Simply put, instead of going through multiple banks, you can send money directly to someone else through a digital wallet. A global network of computers verifies and records the transaction on the blockchain using cryptography and code.

There’s no company, no government, no CEO that can step in and stop it.

And unlike banks, decentralized money like bitcoin, ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies operate 24/7. No business hours. No waiting for “processing times.” No banks taking weekends off.

It’s not just about speed. It’s about control.

For the first time in our history, people can send, store, and control their money without needing a bank or government to approve it. If you live in a country with a stable banking system, that might not seem like such a big deal. But for millions of people, decentralized money equals survival.

No one can freeze or block your money

Governments and banks can (and they do) freeze accounts when they see fit.

Take Canada in 2022. During the trucker protests, the government froze the bank accounts of protesters and donors without a court order. Or Nigeria in 2020, where the government shut down bank accounts of activists supporting the #EndSARS movement, a protest against police brutality.

In both cases, the government acted because they believed it was necessary. But at what cost? When you take away someone’s money, you take away their ability to eat, pay rent, and survive.

With Bitcoin and decentralized money, that can’t happen. If your assets are in a self-custodial wallet or traded through a decentralized exchange (DEX), no bank, government, or company can freeze, block, or seize them. It’s suddenly not just about financial freedom, it’s about basic human rights.

Banking for the unbanked

Now, think about this: 1.4 billion people worldwide don’t have access to a bank account. Not because they don’t want one, but because they live in places without financial infrastructure, don’t have the right documents, or are restricted by their own government.

In El Salvador, over 70% of the population was unbanked before Bitcoin was adopted as legal tender. Now, people can send, receive, and save money without needing a bank at all.

For billions, decentralized money isn’t just an alternative. It’s the only viable option.

And beyond basic banking, decentralized finance (Defi) is emerging as a powerful alternative to traditional financial services.

Potential to protect against inflation

Even if you have access to banking, inflation can chip away at your savings. Inflation means that your money can buy less over time.

Governments control traditional money and when they print more of it, the value of the currency goes down. That’s exactly what happened in Venezuela, Zimbabwe, and Lebanon where inflation wiped out people’s savings.

Bitcoin, for example, has a fixed supply of 21 million bitcoin. No government can print more, and no central bank can decide to change the rules. That’s why some people call it “digital gold.”

In the short term, the prices move up and down fast. But in the long term, some believe that it will be a strong store of value over time because of the fixed supply.

Bitcoin isn’t a perfect inflation hedge yet. But it’s an alternative to money controlled by governments. And for a lot of people, that’s enough of a reason to pay attention.

Decentralized money changes everything

Bitcoin and decentralized money aren’t just about finance. For some, they provide a cheaper, faster way to send money. For others, they offer potential protection against inflation. For millions, they are the only way to access financial services.

I’m not here to claim that cryptocurrency and the technology behind it are perfect — or that there aren’t any risks, because there are. But it’s forcing us to rethink the way money works.

For the first time, people have access to a financial system that isn’t controlled by banks or governments.

Whether we love it, hate it, or don’t fully understand it yet, decentralized money is already shaping the future.