When it comes to Eth vs BTC. I prefer going for both. As they are not directly competing, they can both very well also grow in parallel. In the long run investing in bitcoin provides higher reward/risk ratio and also Bitcoin is pioneer in cryptocurrencies. Ether on other hand has momentum and potential because of many use cases. Diversifying your investment is always best.

Our economy around fiat is setup in the way that we can't really imagine how will Bitcoin work as a national currency. But might be in future we would see a Bitcoin based monetary system. It might sound impossible for now but adopting Bitcoin as a national currency could help countries like Zimbabwe and Venezuela because such a currency contains the potential to prevent the financial roller coaster. But it would create many problem in the ways monetary system is being run today. There is a requirement for Bitcoin based monetary system.

it is not difficult to imagine that the time when all the coins are mined, mining chips will become small and highly efficient. This would reduce the burden placed on miners and would allow mining to become an activity with a lower threshold of initial cost. Transaction fees will surely increase for keeping par with initial cost but to which level is hard to speculate at this time.

Bitcoin price is driven by scarcity, utility, supply and demand. Bitcoin is scarce means its supply is limited. There are currently just over 16.2m Bitcoin in circulation and the maximum that will ever exist is capped at 21 million. This set cap is well known, making its scarcity transparent. However, to have value, Bitcoin must also be useful. Bitcoin creates utility in a number of ways ( very well known). Finally the fluctuation in price is determined by the market in which it trades: by means of supply and demand.

The fact is Bitcoin is soon to become a bigger phenomenon in financial landscape. Any ban on a digital and decentralised currency like bitcoin isn't very effective to make it count. There are thousands of ways to access Bitcoin in case of ban. Government can't really ignore Bitcoin now. It is gaining grounds in various parts of world and leaving it behind isn't worthwhile for any country. So, now government aren't focusing on banning Bitcoin but regulating it. Thus, having a give and take relation with Bitcoin.

At present no hardfork is happening. Miners have started signalling Segwit2x and if it successfully implements Segwit with majority of miners. There will be no chain split and hence price will increase. Segwit2x has a scheduled hard fork date set to occur about 90 days after Segwit activates on Bitcoin. It is really far away to speculate anything.

Ethereum and Bitcoin are two very different beasts

While many will compare the cryptocurrency aspect of both Ethereum and Bitcoin, the reality is that they are vastly different projects and have different intentions. Bitcoin has emerged as a relatively stable digital currency, while Ethereum aims to encompass more, with ether just a component of its smart contract applications.

Moreover, the amount of ether within the network is not finite.Value is defined by the demand at that very moment. Bitcoin on the other hand has limited supply. Their comparison doesn't make sense.

With the bunch of miners started signalling for BIP91 yesterday, a lot of people are now feeling hopeful about the state of bitcoin as Segwit looks to lock in and gets activated. Thus, the recent increase in price. It will prevent the split and hence the Bitcoin will become stronger. Therefore, we will not see $1800 again and this is the time to buy. But still the uncertainty hasn't over. What if the miners who signed the New York Agreement decide to betray it (RARE BUT POSSIBLE). This would lead to the activation of BIP148 or UASF on 1st August. Then there would be a lot chaos and would be a huge dip and chain split.

Bitcoin has limited supply and there is a surge in demand which qualifies it as deflationary currency, however, it is not but has inbuilt deflation. This make people consider bitcoin as a investment asset rather than a currency. so, people doesn't really use Bitcoin for everyday transactions instead of its inflationary counterpart, fiat. There is very small percentage of people who are wiling to spend their Bitcoin on everyday things. Thus, if merchants aren't accepting Bitcoin, they ARE not in anyway encountering any specific kind of loss for not accepting Bitcoin. And all the hassle (transaction time, volatility) added to that.

The cryptocurrency market depend largely upon the movement of Bitcoin. People usually believe that if Bitcoin price declines, altcoin price increases. But that not the case. Bitcoin and Altcoin market tend to follow each other if not directly proportional. With the surge in price of Bitcoin because miners started running Segwit2x node, there is a kind of positivity and finally the FUD is over. What I believe is the Strength of Bitcoin assures investors to invest not only in Bitcoin but in altcoin as well.

Segwit which is going to be implemented through UASF still doesn't has much support that it can prevent chain splitting. Only Segwit2x can prevent that and the best news it miners have started implementing it. I think due to this the price has risen. Now if 90%+ miners implement it before 1st August, it will pave the way to Segwit and hence everything would be fine and Bitcoin will definitely lead to $3500 by the end of this year.

We sitting at $2100 and experiencing high volatility at present would not believe $500k prediction as it is definitely a ridiculously high price. But what I know is there is a surge in demand and it will multiply in future. People are hoarding Bitcoin and there are less in circulation. Halving will occur which will again cut the supply. These all events will multiply the price for sure. Many of the experts have predicted that we will 6 figure price of Bitcoin in 3 years. It might happen.

LOL, so will I. There is a huge difference in signalling and actually implementing. I doubt if all who were signalling (90%+) will actually implement it. But at the end these all are speculations. Lets see how the events unfold.

Most of countries consider Bitcoin as an asset or intangible property ( as by IRS ). Bitcoin's treatment as an asset makes the tax implication clear. However, taxation on bitcoins and its reporting is not as simple as it seems. For starters, it is difficult to determine the fair value of the bitcoin on purchase and sale transactions. Frequent traders and investors could use "first in, first out" (FIFO) or "last in, first out" (LIFO) accounting techniques to reduce tax obligations.

According to some experts, a whole new level of bubble was created in May and starting of June due to increasing speculation. This is the needed correction happening. Added to that FUD created by the speculation of fork and tons of negative explanation. People are panicking and converting their Bitcoin into fiat. And Bitcoin being the major one has its effect in altcoins as well.

So, Germany is following the suit of France and Italy. Government is claiming that by limiting cash transactions they would curb the money laundering and illegal activities. But the country where 79% transactions are done by cash, such implementation would face tough time. And as expected people aren't willing and opposing the decision. Lets see what it has to bring.

How much value in dollars you expected as the payment? This will answer everything. If you are satisfied with what your btc make up in dollars. Then, cash out. Else if you want to go for an investment plan. Keep your money in bitcoin and enjoy the profit bitcoin has to offer.

Blockchain poses many potential uses. If Bitcoin is an innovation blockchain is the bigger. You have provided a really good list. I might start something myself. A good startup idea based on blockchain. Blockchain is still new and hasn't being extensively used. Thus, provides many opportunities.

That digital identity one would help a lot. Digital security is a massive problem in the world which costs industry about $18.5 billion annually. Blockchain technologies can make tracking and managing digital identities both secure and efficient, resulting in seamless sign-on and reduced fraud.

There are many scenarios possible.

One, Segwit2x gets activated before UASF which will make Segwit implemented with majority and hence would lead to a short term price fall after August (price fall will still be there) and situation might get better with the end of September.

Second, no Segwit2x and only UASF gets implemented. As UASF doesn't has much majority. It would lead to chain split with two coins competing with each other. This will lead to a long term dip and price might recover by the end of this year.

Third, nothing gets implemented. Then price will come back to normal in August after a whole long period of speculations and we might see $3500 by the end of the year with high fees and slow transaction debate going on.

These are my opinions.

In case of chain split, you will definitely gonna have double the bitcoin you have at present but not double the amount. All the coins from both the chains will most likely to have value lesser than what we have now. Chain split is the worst scenario possible. Most likely it wouldn't be happening. Everyone will most probably try to avoid split.