While that might be bad news for crypto bros or Robinhood day traders, one economist argues that the decline is actually good news for the rest of us. In his analysis, he compares crypto to counterfeit currency — fake money that allows shady gangs to buy up all kinds of scarce goods, like houses and sports tickets. “If some supersleuth detective figured out a way to recognize the counterfeit bills, they could then remove trillions of dollars of fake money from circulation,” Baker explains. When their share of fake money shrinks, it eases pressure on the rest of us. “The only possible impact of lower crypto prices on production is that we will make less crypto,” says Baker.