What is clear is that it is easier for something worth $0.01 to become worth $1 than for something worth $10K to become worth $1M.
Not to everyone.
Poeple are always looking at percentages rather than the value itself.
In your example, both are 100x, but for the first one the effort was 99 cents, and for the second $990 000, 1 million times more money was needed. If we go full pessimistic mode, and we analyze just the value without extrapolation, the results are completely different, it gained 40k from 2017, so it will gain another 40k in, better stop here because this is overbearish even for me.
I would say that's only half true. Bitcoin is still good for getting rich if you have patience and a long term plan. Or better said, to improve your economic situation. Getting rich will depend on how we define it, your starting situation, monthly/annual investment and time.
Getting rich?
It's again a thing of debating what rich means, a life without caring in an expensive country? You will need a lot of money to invest even now, and poeple who afford that money for investment must be doing quite well themselves. Somebody with 100$ to spare, how could he get rich? Even if
BTC hits 50million, he will have 100k, far from being rich even by 3rd world countries.
But there is one good thing if this mirage is dispelled,
BTC strongpoints can come again in the spotlight, once the discussions about the price going up and down are done as nothing spectacular happens, poeple might talk how useful it is and how it can actually improve things and replace expensive or incomplete solutions.
Either way, that time will come, we can't go endlessly with just price speculation
What I don't like is that these facts will really help all those altcoins that promise spectacular profits, and from my personal experience, a lot of small investors are looking for their profit in altcoins.
Unfortunately, that's an unwanted consequence, and with the amount of money pumper have made to date these so-called projects will not cease for a long time, there is an influx of possible victims that is simply feeding these at insane levels. On the surface nothing new, there have been events like these in the past in different sectors, hundreds of goldrushes have happened but right now it's too damn easy to invest in these, there is no barrier, buying crypto is as easy as buying a pizza now and its the same for the ones creating the scam, one website, a bounty to spread the word, 100$ on a shiny WP and that's it.
It will end only when the number of poeple losing money will be a clear majority, but it's not really something to be thrilled of happening.