Is Bitcoin getting into mainstream slower than we would like? Sure, but I don't think that bitcoin is slow at all.
I agree with both statements. Bitcoiners indeed tend to have an immense lack of patience.
While banks and governments are certainly not big fans of bitcoin and are a big reason why people are reluctant to start using bitcoin, I don't think that its solely their fault. First of all, we have to ask ourselves do we use bitcoin enough for what is originally intended for. I hear even on this forum people saying that they are saving bitcoin and spending fiat only and if bitcoiners are saying that, how can we expect that others that are way less informed about bitcoin will start using it?
Question is whether average Joe would be interested in bitcoin even without the banks/government FUD? The thing is, majority of people don't like personal responsibility, "be your own bank" thing and will regularly sacrifice freedom for a sense of false security, so for them bitcoin will always be a scary thing to some degree. That also explains why so many people keep their crypto on the exchanges and other centralizes services instead of their own non custodial wallets.
While I agree that most see Bitcoin as something good only for investing into, I do spend, just unfortunately in most cases I have to get fiat first.
I would gladly pay with Bitcoin if:
* I would not have to overpay hugely for having the benefit of spending Bitcoin
* the grocery stores would accept Bitcoin. I cannot eat TVs, laptops and mobile phones, they hurt my digestion.
And imho one big problem with the rather slow "expansion" of Bitcoin is the lack of acceptance in stores around the world.
Just ask yourself: why would average Joe get into Bitcoin if they don't see it used anywhere and also government officials tell it's not OK? Imho that's why some risk to buy for holding... and that's basically all... (and yes, then we can get more technical).
Those business have their own tokens to push I don't expect from them any help when it comes to making bitcoin more appealing to the masses.
Of course that they'll advertise mostly their business. But I think/hope that sooner or later they'll advertise Bitcoin too, simply because going mainstream will help their business making more money.
Imho Sportsbet.io did/does it right with the sponsorship of a football team: both their name/logo and Bitcoin are visible on the equipment.
Imho Bitcoin is getthing this slow to the masses is political.
That's one way of looking at it. There must be other ways. For me, it is less political and more technical. In most cases, people are not hindered to use Bitcoin even if their governments are not recognizing it. But why are they not into Bitcoin? It is probably because of the technicalities involved. Keeping Bitcoin is not as easy as keeping fiat. Comparing Bitcoin and fiat, the latter is user-friendly or easy to use and handle.
And, of course, there are the rest of the reasons like the masses don't really feel the need to use Bitcoin, there are a few business establishments that accept it as payment, and others.
Maybe. But, as I said, if they don't see Bitcoin accepted (and advertised) at the stores they going to and the government and media is pushing the "bitcoin is bad" and "bitcoin is unsafe" rhetoric, most will just stay away.