Blockchains are value-transfer networks. The value transfer layer has historically been abused as a rule rather than the exception:

- Rent seeking, such as by Visa and Mastercard that continually try and raise merchant fees

- Censorship, such as with OnlyFans and its attempted blacklisting by the banking system

- As a weapon of war, as with the treasury blocking entities via their monopoly of the global reserve currency and their licensing / penalty system of banks regardless of their country

- Debasement of money in general by the money printers

Blockchains, when properly implemented as closely as can be attempted using decentralized engineering techniques, are neutral plumbing for value transfer. Ethereum is owned by no one, thus competitors can use it, and fees can be optionally added by middlemen if their services justify the fees. The benefit to the world is choice in the world of finance, something society has never had until recently.