I didn’t anticipate the political twists and turns of the past few weeks, but then, who did? One thing I do blame myself for not seeing coming, however, is the extent to which this has become a crypto election.

Six years ago I argued that Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies served no useful purpose, that their market value rested on nothing but “technobabble and libertarian derp.” I stand by that judgment, which has actually been reinforced by the passage of time.

But I didn’t foresee how big a deal crypto would nonetheless become — not because it would fulfill its promise of replacing conventional money, which it hasn’t and never will, but because it has become a powerful force that is, among other things, warping our politics.