And why governments haven't killed it amazes me.

Back when money was gold and silver coins, you could not make your own. 18 U.S. Code § 486:

"Whoever, except as authorized by law, makes or utters or passes, or attempts to utter or pass, any coins of gold or silver or other metal, or alloys of metals, intended for use as current money, whether in the resemblance of coins of the United States or of foreign countries, or of original design, shall be fined under this title [1] or imprisoned not more than five years, or both."

Of course crypto isn't coinage, but the intent of the law is clear and it should have been updated when this nonsense started.