Bitcoin currently enjoys the privileges that come with first mover advantage. But that advantage is starting to wear thin because there are other coins that do certain things better than Bitcoin ever can, especially given that consensus on how to update the technology can't be reached so BTC is starting to fork all over the place.
Transaction fees are becoming a huge problem. I paid 0.001 BTC to move some out of BitTrex today. There was a time when that wasn't a big deal. But now with BTC being worth $16,000, that price tag comes to $16 just to move my BTC from one place to another. If BTC price ever goes higher than $40K, then that BitTrex withdraw fee will cost more than what an international wire transfer costs.
Any altcoin that develops a smooth and legal itself to fiat gateway that's comparable to what Coinbase provides could very easily become the coin that replaces Bitcoin and kicks it off its number one first mover advantage spot.
I agree. Although it has been enjoying lots of market advantages considering the fact that it is new and has never been seen before. Business entities would soon find ways to capitalize on its popularity and impose payments on any transaction just like the above-mentioned reply states. However, what I like about the cryptocurrency or bitcoin market is the fact that anyone, even if he only holds a small amount of asset, can invest in projects from starting up companies. It is a win-win situation because you not only get to invest and get profit, but in the process, you are also helping other newbie companies to prosper through crowd funding.