I think the answer to question 2 is "No". In the context of transaction time, both cash and plastic are superior to Bitcoin. Though I'm happy to go through the logic of how it could be otherwise.
Eh, did you ever try and actually pay with Bitcoin in real life? Say, dinner, or even just a cup of coffee? You never, EVER have to wait for a confirmation. Which is perfectly safe, because even just an attempt to double spend (with slim success rate at best) is a very, VERY expensive endeavor. There is no logic in spending $10000 (in terms of mining power) on a feeble attempt to maybe cancel a $100 payment.
It's 100% safe to accept unconfirmed Bitcoin transactions for every day payments, like groceries, restaurant bill, you name it. Sure, if you're selling cars or houses for Bitcoin, you may want to wait for a confirmation or two. Otherwise, NO issue whatsoever.
And transaction time with Bitcoin is 1-2 seconds. Plastic is typically somewhat slower (it has to connect with the bank, and credit card company, etc). And so is cash: having to deal with change, cash registers, counting pennies and dimes and $1 notes, etc. Bitcoin is the absolute superior alternative here.
