The internet doesn’t evolve – it infiltrates, ruptures, replaces. Some of the internet's most transformative shifts have historically emerged from two powerful mechanisms: brute force and Trojan horse strategies.

Brute force changes occur when disruptive technologies and extreme determination hit existing systems head-on, overwhelming them with sheer scale, utility, or momentum. It’s uninvited. It kicks in the door. Napster and other early peer-to-peer file-sharing platforms exemplify by blowing up the music industry and making digital music freely and widely available, regardless of legality. Piracy wasn’t a glitch, it was gravity. Over time, this disruption paved the way for services like iTunes and Spotify, which restructured how music was distributed and monetized, albeit on very different terms. Similar brute force tactics were seen in the rise of Uber, which ignored taxi regulations and forced cities to reconsider long standing transportation policies.

Trojan horse innovations, by contrast, move quietly. They embed themselves within user habits under the guise of convenience or utility, only later revealing deeper, often more disruptive, consequences. Web 2.0 platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram started as tools that helped users connect, search, and share. Over time, these companies quietly built infrastructures for data collection and advertising, shifting the internet’s economic model from purely information to attention. Few users initially understood that their behavior was being monetized with such precision. Another example is Amazon, which began as an online bookstore and eventually transformed into an all-encompassing retail and cloud computing empire, reshaping global supply chains and labor markets.

Crypto exhibits early signs of both dynamics. On the brute force front, it challenges traditional finance through direct confrontation—offering alternatives to fiat currency, banking, and cross-border transactions. Bitcoin, for example, has persisted in the face of bans, regulation, and criticism, while DeFi platforms replicate core banking services without centralized intermediaries. In 2024, crypto lobbying campaigns topped ~$130M. The sitting president has put through two executive orders related to crypto. The SEC has 180’d its tone. Even Apple has been told to open the gates. It’s taken a lot of time and determination, but it’s working.

At the same time, crypto leverages Trojan horse strategies to quietly infiltrate mainstream systems. Stablecoins, such as USDC or USDT, are a prime example: by pairing the stability of fiat currency while operating on blockchain infrastructure, they allow users to transact globally with minimal friction. It’s the largest natural distribution for crypto this industry could ask for. Users don’t need to embrace crypto ideology or volatility. Payment integrations with platforms like PayPal, Stripe, and Visa bring crypto functionality into environments users already trust, further blurring the line between traditional and decentralized finance.

So in short, crypto isn’t waiting for permission or mass adoption. It’s already inside, rewriting the rules in languages the legacy system doesn’t speak.