So Bitcoin could be replaced by a blockchain offering currency stable assets, with low inflation and fast confirmation times as well additional products and services like a decentralized trading exchange. In that event most of the problems crypto currently experiences would be solved imo.
1. There is no decentralized way to keep the price of a crypto currency stable relative to fiat. The founder can promise to buy at X price but he might fail to honor it, die, spend his money elsewhere, lose his money elsewhere, etc... See PayCoin's woes. The fiat currency offered in the guarantee might also crash or cease to exist. What good, for example, is a guarantee to exchange 20 chitcoin for 20 rubles if the Ruble ceases to exist?
2. Fast confirmation times come at the cost of security. See all the AltCoin woes. Tons of people have lost tons of money on low hash rate "fast coins"
3. Bitcoin already has exceedingly low inflation. New coins are produced at a very modest rate that decreases over time and the total number of coins ever produced is capped.
1. BitAssets do you let you hold the value of real world assets like USD/Gold in a completely decentralized way. There is no counterparty risk, you don't have to worry about anyone's ability to pay. There is only systemic risk but the system is over-collateralised with an average of 300% collateral transparently backing the BitAssets.
http://www.bitsharesblocks.com/assets/asset?id=USDhttps://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/2015-year-decentralized-bitcoin-exchange/2. The 10 second transactions don't come at the cost of security. BitShares is more secure after 1 block (10 seconds) than Bitcoin is after 6 blocks (1 hour)
http://bitshares.org/the-value-proposition-of-bitsharesx-part-i-core-technology/3. 10% doesn't constitute exceedingly low inflation for a currency. Even at today's CAP that's $25 million a month, most are sold immediately for fiat to cover mining expenses. In a bear market with low demand this can have an impact on price far in excess of the nominal inflation rate.
Bitcoin fills this need quite well, but it's adoption remains too small. I actually agree with the article in general, though it's definitely troubling to watch it in freefall. But overall, the general bitcoin news is positive, more adoption, more awareness... why the price did not follow is a mystery to me. The inflation is not yet too great for the rate of adoption, and there is NO better way to send a payment across borders, so both it's currency utility and payment utility are working.
Time will tell.
I agree with you. The price collapse is indeed baffling, though I never understood why it wasn't rising either with all the continued adoption and good news of last year, though I think adoption / bitcoin's use is very small in the grand scheme of things but I think this will slowly change over time. The potential is obviously there but it just needs to catch on with the masses or get adopted by certain industries that can benefit from it.
Volatilty - Businesses sell it immediately for fiat. This is price negative. The greater utility Bitcoin gains and the more it is used as a transactional currency, the more it will decline.