Comment by theamk

Power structures can absolutely control crypto. They can make it illegal - it won't eradicate it altogether (see: war on drugs), but it will severely decrease its influence. No one is bragging about investing their retirement savings into cocaine, and Paypal does not offer it to me either.

Or if government is smarter, they can slowly gain control over it. Allow trading traceable currencies via official channels, but with good KYC measures. Do not allow fully anonymous systems. Go after mixers. Prosecute exchanges which do not verify their customers. Once there are plenty of government-sanctioned exchanges in the country, there will be little incentive to create unsanctioned ones, and someone with coins that were marked "North Korean-originated" won't be able to spend them in the country.