In my opinion there are and other reasons except raising price of bitcoins.

Bitcoin is more mature than ever.
There is a piece of the population worldwide, which is growing everyday, has begun to use it more often than fiat money.
There are several stores and companies that accept bitcoins because customers request it.  
Finally, banks started to design their own virtual currency with the aim to prevent people from the increasing use of cryptocurrencies

         But there is a significant difference between  the logic that created bitcoin and those who are considering to do the swedish government. Sweden is considering to create a virtual currency, they call it 'ekrona',  that is under the control of the Central Bank of Sweden and not the decentralized nature between bitcoins exchange. Also they think of different technologies not only the blockchain technology http://uk.businessinsider.com/swedish-central-bank-considers-digital-national-currency-ekrona-2016-11.

      The legislation concerning cryptocurrencies is fuzzy and very different from country to country if there is any. The only sure in courts is that everyone is innocent until proven otherwise. However, to anyone is accused as thief  when will go trial  jury judges must have suffice evidence in order to convict him otherwise they are obliged to acquit him. Similarly how can the prosecutor prove that bitcoins was legal and he had not steal from someone else?

The principle is not all eggs in one basket.
An offline wallet; paper based or HD wallet for savings. This is not for everyday usage.
A PC wallet if our job demands the daily transactions with our clients
A web wallet for small expenses. Sometimes this is pairing with smartphone.

      Trading with cryptocurrencies is the same as in shares and fiat money exchange. Does anyone know a successful  trader without skills like as sharp mind, insight, everyday hard work good information and creative stress? Now, if a skillful trader sometimes is lucky then certainly be welcome. But only fortune in a competitive market is not suffice.

     Others I vote. There are many jobs where somebody hire you (e.g as freelancer) and pay you with bitcoins. Investing in gambling sites (not gambling but risky) if you are sure that is reliable and accepts investments. At last someone buy goods with fiat money and sell it with bitcoins. There are countries where the inflation of their fiat money is so big that compensates  the volatility of bitcoins

         The issue of property is particularly serious but as all legal issues so this falls under the legislation of any country. As an example I bring that in countries - members of European Union sellers of bitcoin are not obliged to pay VAT after the transaction of  buying and selling bitcoins because according the EU legislation the bitcoin is not considered currency because is not issued by credit institutions (fiat money). So as regards the ownership status how someone can prove it knowing that according its design is decentralized and irreversible?

     Taxes is a very hot issue for everyone; so if someone wants to have an overview as regards the legislation on taxation can take a look at this article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_bitcoin_by_country by Wikipedia. About what is happening in every country because the article is relatively old and the tax legislation in some countries changes very often should be addressed to the appropriate law firm. Especially if it concerns EU country then the attorney firm must have the appropriate experience and knowledge of EU directives because many EU countries prefer to embodiment the EU directive particularly if the issue is global, complex and there is not the relevant experience

      If you are a buyer charge back policy is a good reason to prefer paypal instead of bitcoin payment. If sellers has the possibility to give buyers a significant amount of discount this would be a good reason to prefer bitcoins. Furthermore, as we know many times where the goods are coming from the other point of the planet there are problems regarding the delivery time and the product status.
     
      On the other side if you are the seller and with these money you must pay your supplier (raw material or what ever) you are not sure if he will accept bitcoin as payment. Even worse if there is a 'hostile' environment regarding the bitcoins sellers prefer bad buyers instead of troubleshooting in their daily transactions.

     Not all eggs in one basket. When fiat money appeared displaced gold? The bitcoin has sufficiently maturity but still has great volatility and not a long past. The future, because the technology is developing very rapidly certainly are cryptocurrencies. Time where paper money will be displaced by crypto coins will come. But I believe this is not the near future. People need computers, internet and most of all education to be persuaded they are the bank.

      Yes but you don't want bad buyers either. If you are a new seller and you want to gain good reputation assuming that not only you have a shop but you use sites as ebay you would consider that you have some loss in principle from bad buyers. After a while when you gain a good reputation people will trust you (positive feedback) and you will claim some amount in advance and the balance on delivery or entire the amount. Good buyers know how difficult is for a seller to acquire positive evaluations and will trust you to send their money in advance.

     Could you donate some bubbles?  Seriously now. There are poor countries in the world that have so inflationary currency if you try to swap in a bank of economically strong countries would not give you a cent or penny. On the other side do you know a country, regardless if it is against their laws, that if I give them bitcoin I could not to exchange it with their fiat money?

     Perhaps the only way although it contains some risk for somebody to have a small income from btcs, without doing anything, is to monitor the exchange rates between btc/fiat money. When he considers that it is the right time buy them put it in a secure wallet and forgot their existence. To monitor only the rise or the fall of their price. Medium to long term it is possible to make a profit especially if the country that stays has an inflationary fiat money. There is no gain without a risk. Small or big it depends from the investor

     May be a way if someone wants to buy btcs with credit card and without id verification first to withdraw fiat money from any ATM and after to use an android app like this https://chip-chap.com/ . But this app is limited in some countries and not all over the world. Another way is to use a Bitcoin ATM using again fiat money if there is something like that in his country and near his home http://www.coindesk.com/bitcoin-atm-map/.

     If he is a man or a group of people and he/they wanted to showing up would have already appeared. Obviously, when something he/they created is both innovative and pioneering there is no reason to destroy it just trying to convince the rest of the world that you are the creator of it. Most likely the creator or creators to enjoy the benefits of that fast growth of profits of Bitcoin. Surely they will have a big number of Btcs.

   In my daily needs the transaction with bitcoin is extremely rare, not only because there aren't many stores that accept bitcoins but because my bitcoin funds are few. So, I have used once in a cafe which was accepted it and another time when I bought  a t-shirt from an e-shop. Now, the price of btc grows rapidly I prefer to keep it as a small investment. I look forward when I go abroad use it more frequently without the need to change my fiat money with money of the country which I will visit.

    Fiat money are threatened from the explosive spreading of bitcoins. This development hides enormous economic and political implications particularly at a time when the currency except as a tool of exchange goods such must be, has been used as a 'tool' of political pressure against countries all over the world. In this respect, not only bitcoin but every crypto coin is freedom.

Do you believe that is easy for CIA or NSA to monitor a cryptocurrency like bitcoin globally? It is more easy bankers to cooperate each other with the help of secret services. Isn't it? Decentralized coins is the fear of financial institutions.


But if I let my money in the computers of a bank am I safe? Do I know what are they doing with my money? Have you ever listen about savings 'haircut' so your money go to save the damaged banks without anyone ask youif you agree about it?


Οrdinary people should not be afraid about their bitcoins. What they fear are big bankers and those who control the banking system.

       In the present times and in the near future is extremely difficult to be replaced by alt coins. After approximately 7 mining years has acquired a maturity and established in the mind not only for enthusiasts and guru of computers but also everyday ordinary people. Moreover,  from the time that took his place in the Stock Exchange of America it is very difficult to be  replaced from other cryptocurrencies.

      The main reason was the halving due to the dramatic reduction in the number of btc coins at least the initial period although after we had corrective trends. From then we have small fluctuations until  the reduction due to theft in Bitfinex and at the end of October a steady growth trend that I believe was reinforced by US elections after winning D.Trump and the ban of Indian banknotes Rs 500 and Rs1000 led to increased demand of btcs