Hey, thanks for writing this. I like your name too. Anyway, I didn't know much about gridcoin until reading this.
I bookmarked your post as well so when I have time for research, I will reference back to this information and use it to plan some of my Gridcoin ops - should I decide to leap into it.
This coin reminds me a little of Burstcoin in the sense that it is using hardware in a fundamentally different way than many of its rivals.
I'm definitely long on anything that effectively "Democratizes" the blockchain and a better word than democracy is DECENTRALIZE but that's a topic for a blog post.
While Gridcoin and Burstcoin both do use hardware very differently to most conventional cryptos, the key defining factor is actual benefit to society achieved by the former. Burstcoin functions on a proof of capacity. I can 'mine' it by hooking massive amounts of blank storage together that does nothing and fundamentally achieves nothing.
Gridcoin requires miners to contribute to scientific endeavours through the BOINC platform. While mining, you may discover a new stellar phenomenon, or a new megaprime, or an unknown cancer marker. I honestly consider that on a per user basis, GRC does more good for society than any other crypto.
However, that is coming from a researcher, so I may be a little biased. =)
Perhaps slightly, but you make a valid point.