Most bitcoin users are speculators and not consumers. Bitcoin is failing miserably on the consumer side.
If someone can explain to Joe down the street why he should jump through verification hoops so he can buy bitcoins on coinbase, and then go make purchases for goods and services at a limited number of places using those freshly exchanged bitcoins, while he could have bought those same goods and services at those same places, and at a wider range of places, with the debit card he already has in his wallet, then Bitcoin usage will increase.
It's strongest values are speculation as an inflation hedge. escape money incase your country falls apart. to use it as worldwide currency may work in thrid world countries but in a fairly stable place send a coin to a company for an item is not worthwhile to a buyer.
The biggest problem is the average Joe down the street really should not use it to shop. Why? hardly any protection for him.
Now I have multiple accounts with coins.
Do I really ever want to shop with my coins? no because the seller can fuck me far too easily.
Once you make an escrow service for btc that protects the buyer you basically add a ton of cost to moving the money.
I do not think it will ever catch on for buyers of products.
I have free cc's :
with 60 price match
fraud if hacked
1 year returns
2x warranty
and they earn 5% back.
How on earth does btc match that for a buyer. the answer is they do not and can not match that.
So BTC for me has speculation value. And if I ever need to run from a country due to it collapsing I will be able to access coins once I get out.