When Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies first came out, everyone were saying that it was for the people to get their financial freedom. Now, it seems like it's being taken over by big financial institutions. Should we be worried?
There seem to be a lot of people who are confused with the concept of financial freedom. This is what financial freedom/independence means:
Financial independence is a state in which an individual or household has sufficient wealth to live on without having to depend on income from some form of employment.
Bitcoin obviously doesn't provide that unless it can go on an eternal bull run.
The term you're looking for is
financial inclusion:
Financial inclusion is where individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs that are delivered in a responsible and sustainable way. Financial inclusion is defined as the availability and equality of opportunities to access financial services.
Either way, Bitcoin is just money. People have gone on to associate itself with freedom, etc., but the truth is that whoever holds it is irrelevant. It functions the same way all the same.