Ethereum is, in my mind, a great evolutionary step forward in digital currency. However, putting everything behind the Bitcoin brand name is a strategy that I don't entirely agree with. For the time being, I think that we need a whole marketplace of altcoins that employ and different technology and different ideas.
I agree. And I agree with Dalmar that anonymity by black marketeers spurred the creation of bitcoin, sort of like porn spurred the development of the mainstream internet. Follow the money... I see a bright future for Zerocoin, and a not so bright future for bitcoin, especially after the Mt. Gox fiasco and impending regulation, see below.
TonyT
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/02/26/japan-studies-regulation-of-bitcoin-after-mt-gox-goes-dark/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0
February 26, 2014, 8:40 am
Now, Nations Mull the Ways to Regulate Bitcoin