Hello @sandrajames. Thank you for sharing your opinion. I think it all depends on the context and perspective as well as geographical location (and a lot of other factors).
For example, how safe is a currency that you cannot control, Venezuela and its massive inflation debacle doesn’t seem to be a very safe situation to be in.
A four code PIN number is easier to crack than a cryptographic protocol. Cards are easier to copy than wallet data (yes, now they just need to hold a machine close enough to your pocket and your credit card falls into the wrong hands.
Not to mention Quantum computers will make all SWIFT systems (read current banking systems) vulnerable to those who have access to these machines, note that the citizens are highly unlikely to own a quantum computer. You can guess who that leaves in charge of YOUR money.
How about some money you keep under the bed, fire breaks out, money gets burned. Granted, the fire could burn the seed password for the wallet you wrote down, unless you etch it into metal or memorise it.
Burglars will have a harder time stealing a seed password since it’s one small sheet of paper or metal, and if they steal your laptop they would still need the spending password to do anything.
When you have a lot of money, banks know, goverments know, the IRS knows…
There are civil forfeiture laws in a lot of countries that allow their goverments to seize assets and money from citizens. Banks will gladly help out governments to do so.
What about during an economic crisis, think Cyprus and Greece, banks either shut down or limited the possible withdrawal amount ATM machines could dispense. In a lot of cases they froze peoples assets.
Goverments have little control over cryptocurrencies and little knowledge on the people who use them.
The only thing safe about “money”, is the safety that protects oneself from his/her own stupidity (Make a wrong transaction and it gets refunded after some hassle. Forgot your PIN, bank will send a new card to you, etc…)
Money has been around for centuries, cryptocurrency for a decade or so. I’d argue its pretty safe to predict which one will be the new paradigm as time goes by.