This comparison is quite clever. I would even go as far as to say that this might also apply to entrepreneurs who adapt and build based off of the Steem blockchain. Maybe, 5 years from now, these entrepreneurs will be in the hot seat of the next gold rush. However, it might be slightly different. You said that BitMain controls 70-80 percent of the mining market. I think that in the long run, there won't be just one company at the center of the Steem market. I think there will be hundreds, or maybe even thousands. But, that's what the creators intended. This post was informative though. Thank you!