I am interested in how the OP came to idea of conspiracy #4. I independently came to the same theory myself and found this post by Googling my theory to see if anyone else had came up with the same.

Now that I have found this post and several others I think of it less as a conspiracy. I believe there is some truth to this. Distilled, it is simply: Bitcoin was invented to replace all existing fiat money currencies once they collapse (and collapse they will) - just look Money as Debt youtubehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqvKjsIxT_8

edit: Oh - and we can't go back to gold - it is too cumbersome in today's digital economy.  Alternate theory is bitcoin and any other previous attempts at crypto-currency are actually *experiments* to see how the economy might work with a single global currency and how humans could come to trust this system before it is actually NEEDED in a hurry (once fiat currencies collapse). Bitcoin is the latest and seems to actually be getting some real traction - Virgin and coffee shops are accepting bitcoin already. Just in time I think as currency collapse is perhaps just around the corner... who knows - Bitcoin could become the new default global currency simply because it's the current front runner at the time of collapse... Perhaps I should buy some... even just one. One of something is better than a million of nothing...