My answer is Yes, it is an entirely new form of money. Unfortunately it is not accepted yet by most places and by most people but it will be with time. The good news is that due to the Internet almost all the people around the world have access to the information which might be helpful for them. Sooner or later they will know how good Bitcoin is and they will accept it, at least to their personal advantage, and then Bitcoin will become money in the full sense of the word
I wouldn't cherish such hopes
At least, not for the foreseeable future. If Bitcoin scalability issues don't get fixed eventually (and there is not much hope that they will), the fact that it is a new form of money won't help Bitcoin much. Ultimately, it all comes down to minute details that make all the difference (e.g. confirmation times and the size of fees). We could remain a marginal currency and drag on like that for long years ahead. Right now, Bitcoin is stuck between the upper and nether millstone, so to speak. On the one hand, it should get updated to enter a new level but, on the other hand, with its price growing there is little incentive for that. In fact, the high prices might soon become Bitcoin's curse
