So main purpose is speculative trading. That's it.
Or am I wrong?
Well, current main
usage (definitely not the
purpose) is still speculative trading (and speculating holding), which makes it similar to gold. Yes, gold has a lot of other usage too, but the main component in price is still the price speculation. .
However Bitcoin and crypto in general have many advantages over any other asset, so the usage will grow. Even if we don't take altcoins/blockchain tech into account (and I personally believe they add a lot of value to ecosystem), Bitcoin's decentralization, limited supply and independence of any "big brother" is a big plus by itself.
Even if Bitcoin will never rise in price (just keeps more or less stable), and never have any "real" usage as money, I would prefer to keep money in Bitcoin, as any other existing asset is either really hard to manage/buy/sell/transport, or is owned by some party I don't fully trust. It doesn't actually need much usage, its all about psychology, people just need to get used to the existing price of Bitcoin. Even overinflated assets like USD are still keeping their value (more or less), just because people believe they are worth something...
But you just gave me my point. And what if we get blockchains based USD, EUR, etc? Will people be so willingly sending still crypto? I don't think so.
Bitcoin is a good tool for speculation that's right.
In long-term, tho there must be larger, and larger base of bagholders to hold it's price. What you said with gold is mainly untrue - it has a lot of more usage than speculative trading, it has a lot of unique properties, and have a lot of usage in real life.
Besides gold is a hedge against inflation. Other precious metals have other very important role in economy such as producing computer components with it - silver and gold, car industry - platinum
And Bitcoin main usage is speculative trading, and maybe holding value (but if it is - it's terrible at it - going up and down like crazy). It isn't really some kind of "safe haven". I would maybe put it in that category in 2016, when volumes were consistent and price wasn't crazy pumping and depumping.
Basing economy and more retailers on Bitcoin basically failed - till now it doesn't get more adopted. Just more traded on more exchanges. It looks like big decentralized gambling casino, worldwide.
The same looks moves on BTC.
And I dont want to tell it, because I'm not against it. I'm really not. I'm supporting various crypto projects, and I'm supporting it's ideas trully and with my heart.
It just became a field for scammers and pump & dumpers, and people cheering on it, because they can now "earn" their "millions". Nobody would give a fuck about crypto apart from small group of enthusiasts, if it wouldn't pump like crazy in 2013, and then in 2017.
All in all - the most important thing in crypto (it seems) is a big PUMP. If there is not pump - coin is a shitcoin, scamcoin etc.
And the most funny thing is - pumping are mostly shitcoins and scamcoins. That's truly amazing experiance to see all that. And it will be amazing to see it in retrospective, when people (at least should be) will finally wake up to it.
The point is - some projects are great. But it's not the reason for their insane valuation, because it isn't organic demand, just speculative, pump demand.
That's all I have to say.