[Happiness]

Thanks RunningWild, you bring up some good points

1) How can Bitcoin be de-centralizing when the very essence of digital communication(internet) is centralized  control?

Exactly, we've seen with net neutrality in the US that telecoms giants and ISP's can pressure the government to change how the internet works, or governments like China with the great firewall or western governments could easily control access to a decentralized currency

2) Why is it that exchanges and futures contracts can be traded, but no real robust merchant marketplace exists?

I don't know why either, I would guess at it's a good way to access and control the market through algorithmic trading

3) How can we properly value Bitcoin against hard assets alone?

Indeed, what gives Bitcoin any inherent value?, something that has value usually has limited supply (I know bitcoin is limited to 21million but it's not limited to 2 decimal places), bitcoin can be exponentially recreated?! and I would say anything of real value is something that humans require, water is more valuable than bitcoin