I don't know storj, but I think it was decided a while back that Dash would stick to being money.  On the other hand, with the DAVC and ability to propose projects, the MN network and community can vote to add other services (and I hope they do!)  Then it might indeed look like Etherium? 

Does that mean I'm not the only one getting spooked by my government and the banking system?  My mother makes me feel like such a freak for thinking the economy is going to collapse.  Which is funny because since the dawn of time, the economy collapsed like clockwork.

I am very spooked by your government and banking system.  

I'm in Canada, where the voters just threw out our version of Cromwell/Cheney after (amazingly) tolerating it for years. However, the mechanisms put in place by one bunch of rascals tend to be used by the next "good guy" bunch of rascals - the ratchet mechanism tends to go in one direction only.

It's hard to take an objective stance on this stuff, especially for the young for whom everything is "normal" because of their time horizon. I'm 72 fwiw, and from my perspective the present situation is terrifyingly abnormal. I try not to succumb to the "ain't it awful" impulses that come with age and I find tinfoil-hat paranoia as ludicrous as the next person does.

Like you though, I am aware of the cyclical nature of this stuff - especially the history of fiat collapses. It's worth reflecting on Bill Bonner's line though "just because something is inevitable doesn't mean it is imminent". Stay nimble!

Edit. Update: if you are wondering why I blurted out my age on a public forum, here's the main reason (on topic, I promise). Yesterday I went back to Cryptsy to see whether it had survived the bank run caused by the recent smear story. Everything seemed to work fine. I transferred some crypto coins in, converted to DASH, and went to the Withdraw window where I discovered that they had implemented Draconian new invasive questions. The pretexts were the T-word and P-word as always, but the actual rules bordered on farce. From memory - you can now withdraw only $25 daily or $100 monthly in crypto (not fiat) without giving them your life history. Thus blackmailed, I told them all the stuff they have no business knowing, and I assume they will blab it to The Authorities on demand in order to stay in business. I'm not even in that country - sheesh! Anyway, my age is no longer my own business so I might as well flaunt it. The matrix is real, boys and girls. DASH might be the answer - I hope so.

           

I entered crypto when all the Mt Gox was really flaring up.  I've kept my exposure to exchanges to a minimum, except at one point where I had ~ $70 worth of coins on an exchange for a while.  I was trusting Bitfinex.  Man I miss them.  I hope they'll open trade with Dash again some time soon, but our volume is so small, I can understand their decision.