Much has changed since that paper was written.

Crypto is the term we use to refer to the cesspool of millions of cryptographic tokens that are traded on exchanges.

• All of them have a founder or team looking to enrich themselves with pre-mined tokens and/or the ability to issue new ones whenever they want.
• Most of the ones with utility could be better implemented with more efficient centralized databases, but they chose to issue useless tokens instead in order to have exit liquidity.
• Many of them are unregulated, illegal securities issued by companies in order to raise funding, such as CRO and BNB.
• The ones which are similar to Bitcoin, like LTC, BCH, or XMR, they aren't unethical like the rest. But they don't have the adoption required to actually make them valuable. They don't have enough mining or nodes to withstand state attacks. They can't be used at thousands of merchants around the world like Bitcoin can. Bitcoin is legal tender in more than one jurisdiction and held by large institutions and governments. No others are have any of these qualities.

Whatever ALL those are, Bitcoin is not. Most people call all those "crypto". So, even though it sounds weird to say "Bitcoin is not crypto".... I don't know how else to say it. Bitcoin stands alone in its purpose and potential market share (which is bigger than gold, btw). Bitcoin really is not crypto, in the colloquial sense of the term.

We would probably come up with a new word to describe it.... but we already have one: Bitcoin.

EDIT: XMR falls under the "cryptos" which could still be considered somewhat ethical. As such, I do not blame someone who believes XMR is better and is going to win at the global currency game. Believe that if you want. But fucking own it. Sell ALL your Bitcoin. Live on XMR. Shill it. Try to get the world to adopt it. Don't own Bitcoin too because doing so just sours both projects. Pick the winner, feel pride in your choice, and keep learning/reading as much as possible.