Actually I think there is more freedom and opportunity now, for the few who dare grab what is available!

Back then it was far harder to start from zero, both in terms of initial investment, access to hands on real learning, not to mention marketing or career opportunities outside the box.

Now, of course, the mental trap is way harder to get out of I think, but once someone with initiative and will to push hard manages to get out of it, then the tools like Hive, Bitcoin, Monero and all related tech are all there to build :-)