It doesn't run on the OG Tor network itself as I understand it - people run their own specific Session Nodes that act as the "tor-like" backbone.
The crypto part is because to set up your own node, you proof of stake a bunch of their coin, and if your node is found to be unreliable or blatantly malicious your stake is locked (or even forefitted? Not sure about that part)
That's a half-life 2 corner with a medkit in a box behind that pipe