based on the beginning of starting bitcoin came to this world.
it came with a value, by July 2010 the price $0.008–$0.08, then skyrocketed by 900% in five days.
i believe on that time no one big exchange, just people to people payment system.
and if it still continue naturally with no exchange came, of course some people will pay to buy btc , even it no exchange , because BTC it self its limited.
and well, people truly like what a limited thing.
but all happened quickly over the past 8 years, I wonder if satoshi himself had prediction this to happen, so he disappeared after the launch of bitcoin itself ?
No man can predict on what would be his future nor into its creation.Satoshi doesnt expect for this innovation to become like this big.
Bitcoin is an innovation that really had that feature which the masses able to see its usage and now been supported by many.Okay going back to the
question if theres no exchange platforms existed? People will continue to trade p2p and same as you mentioned its been traded up into its earliest years
but the price do manage to increase its price.Exchange platforms do only contribute to ease the hassles on trading up which been supported by many but
bitcoin can still definitely survive without any of these.