The more apt comparison is probably gambling or the financial sector making money from speculation on obscure financial instruments and my guess would be people on HN are negative about it for the same reason most people in general are negative about these things. It doesn't have anything to do with innovation, it's just meta-gaming obscure markets so the nouveau riche can buy themselves sportscars.

I mean you said it yourself, not particularly bright people get filthy rich, why would actually bright people think that's cool

A lot of the crypto world is "morally dubious", let's say. To play in many of those sectors you mention you must be ready to live in very grey areas of the law, or even right outside of it.