They aren't useless. They are of questionable utility with regard to price.<p>I made a cute little amount of money in BTC/LTC speculation and I ultimately bought about $3,000 worth of labor using those coins. It was infinitely easier than having to send cash and deal with foreign and domestic laws around hiring labor and reporting that income.<p>But, as fees increase and the price remains unpredictable, it becomes less fungible. That doesn't mean it is useless.