Yeah, and? What, a large volume of traditional currency hasn't?
If you try really hard, then you can see the difference in illegal trade taking a fraction of currency movement, and illegal trade actually creating the base of an currency, with criminals owning most of it.
Some more BS pulled out of your ass. What gives you the impression that criminals are sitting there hoarding their bitcoins? They're probably cashing them out ASAP to pay for their criminal activities and rich lavish life styles.
Because criminals are attracted to easy money like most others here, and there are very few public figures who have publicly stated their stake in bitcoin. "Somehow" the bitcoin owners like to remain anonymous. DPR was caught with (some of?) the coins he was holding, but there is a low probability that this was an isolated case.
Second Market? Trade Fortress? Winklevii? This isn't looking too good for you.
Second Market isn't an investments into bitcoin, but into services that can function with all kinds of digital currencies that we will probably see in the future.
Investment groups like Trade Fortress knowingly and routinely take these high risk gambles, that have potential for high rewards but low probability of success. Bitcoin wasn't the first and won't be the last gamble they made, and $20 million isn't exactly a big sum to them. For instance, Fortress once lost $125 million purchasing fraudulent promissory notes from fraudster Marc Drier who was operating a Ponzi scheme, so they aren't known to be extra careful with their investments.
And Winklevii? Well, I consider those guys to be better rowers then businessmen. Sometimes, when I hear some things that come out of their mouth, then I sincerely wonder on how the hell did they graduate Harvard.
What about the crash of 2011? 2012? 2013? GTFOH.
Those crashes meant little, because people were actually only selling because others were selling. There still was potential left in bitcoin. Now it won't take long since bitcoin will just run out of it's potential. It will try to utilize itself on roles, that are too complex, for it's financially overly simplistic nature.
But I agree that bitcoin could have about 1 or 2 bubbles still left in it before the final demise, because the hype still seems to be pretty strong.
Like the hundreds of alt-coins that already exist?
If you'll read my text again, then you'll see that I was pointing at new currencies, that will be sold on already regulated exchanges. That means that there will be lower chances of shenanigans like pre-mining or criminals getting their hold of the coins. It's all about trust and transparency. Having blind faith that all the former criminals are good folks, who wouldn't dump their coins to get your wealth, is for the cultsists, not for serious investors.