The evolution is not always slow: the Banking Act of 1863 transformed American currency very rapidly, for example[1]; as did the foundation of the Bank of England in 1694 for the pound.

Of course, your underlying point is correct - both these examples are coterminous with vast transformations in the two societies (the civil war and the Glorious Revolution), which equally were not dreamed up by a nerd in a basement.

[1] James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom has some interesting material on this.