There is, and has been, a misconception about the economics of free things for a long while now, this movement or ideology started from the premise of government hand-outs to the least economically developed citizens. When we do talk about the economics of free things(which is rarely) we usually associate it with the idea that it involves a regulatory central agency distributing the wealth amongst its people. However when it come to the free market this type of leniency is not available at all. Day to day people don't have access to stocks or derivative markets for example, and that helps to increase the gap between the rich and the poor(which in turn requires the intervention of the aforementioned central authority).
New technologies however provide an opportunity for this gap to be closed. When a technology is in its infancy the interest for its development and widespread adoption from the creators is big enough to try and exchange portions of the value of their product for market depth. Put in other words and in regards to token economics, ICO's are so desperate for the widespread use and adoption of their product that they will literally give away portions of the participation of their product, in the form of tokens, in exchange for network effects and market depth. We now have an interesting concept formed from this:
airdrops and the difficulty that this companies are going to have to achieve their desired market depth.
The question then is:
How could some profit from the economy of free things, and what would the reaction to this opportunity, by the general public, be?
I guess one potential method of profit is invoked by the permaculture and off grid movement. At some point productivity and technology could advance to being able to support greater than subsistence level standards of living with a minimal effort. The cost of living and travel could decrease to a point where that value could be produced relatively for free, without a big sacrifice of time and effort in the form of work or having a job being necessary to support oneself or ones family.
An example might be the cost per watt of solar panels decreasing to a point where electricity becomes plentiful and cheap. The improvement of 3d printers and CNC manufacturing machines becoming low enough for people to produce their own products which could in turn decrease manufacturing costs to a point where goods become extremely affordable. Basically a reversal to the trend we've seen where wages have flatlined while the cost of food, energy, goods services, etc, have become inflated.
Also the trend of off grid living where people have strove to be more independent and self sufficient could reduce labor pools in job markets and have an eventual net effect of raising wages again, as employees have greater difficulty finding workers.
Of course, some of these things might not occur for centuries if they happen at all. But any type of positive trend which shows people the raw potential for improvement or what avenues might lead to better living standards could go a long way given how many have lost hope in existing institutions and leaders to provide for them.