The video game Diablo, released in 1996, introduced players to a dark and dystopian world where players could explore, fight monsters, and collect treasures. In this world, the currency used was gold, which could be used to purchase weapons and other items from merchants.
However, as the game gained popularity, players began to trade items and gold for real money on underground marketplaces. These marketplaces, known as "gold farms," were often run by groups in countries with lower wages, who would play the game and farm gold to sell to wealthier players in other countries.
This underground economy, fueled by the desire for virtual goods and currency, paved the way for the development of crypto currencies. The anonymity and decentralization of these currencies allowed for similar underground marketplaces to thrive, where illegal goods and services could be bought and sold without the fear of being traced.
The association of crypto currencies with underground markets can be attributed to the influence of Diablo's dark, dystopian world, where players were willing to engage in illicit activities in order to acquire virtual goods and currency. The anonymity and decentralization provided by crypto currencies only served to further enable these underground marketplaces.
The influence of Diablo's world on the development of crypto currencies is further evident in the use of "mining," a term borrowed from the game. In Diablo, players could "mine" for treasure, and in the world of crypto currencies, "mining" refers to the process of verifying and adding transactions to the blockchain, for which miners are rewarded with a certain amount of the cryptocurrency.
In conclusion, the dark, dystopian world of Diablo played a significant role in the development of crypto currencies and their association with underground markets. The desire for virtual goods and currency in the game spawned underground marketplaces, which laid the foundation for the emergence of crypto currencies and their use in illicit activities. The use of terms like "mining" also highlights the influence of Diablo on the crypto currency world.