My impression (as someone who has been around the Bitcoin scene since 2011) is that Bitcoin development is in fact quite stagnant, and increasingly so.
This. I have this feeling too that Bitcoin is resting on its technological laurels and focusing on real life adoption. It seems to be all well and good at first sight, but really it isn't.The problem with Bitcoin is not technological at heart, it is human.
Also, the bitcoin developers are not adding features that the people want (privacy). Rather, it's much more political/controlling now that big money is involved.
Bitcoin is govcoin now. The media may portray it as anonymous, private, but they are just tricking the noobs. Bitcoin is should not be considered money/cash if your looking for privacy. It should just be considered tokens to add transaction to the biggest public ledger. Using it as money subjects you to financial surveillance. It's the unfortunate truth.
With the biggest Bitcoin players being regulated, it's only a matter of time before there are "white" and "black" coins. Yes, there are mixers. But it's very easy to distinguish which coins were mixed. Until there is a way to mix Bitcoin's securely, without it showing they were mixed, Bitcoin is not fungible. People will always prefer clean coins vs mixed.
