At this point Mt.Gox is assuredly holding back bitcoin. It isn't their fault however... at least not entirely. MtGOX stands for Magic the Gathering Online Exchange. In their inception, they were the only company using btc for any real monetary purpose. BTC gained its dollar value because it was used as a means to trade/buy magic the gathering cards. From there it exploded into what we know bitcoin to be today, but MtGOX has had to go from a bunch of nerds living in their mom's basements to one of the most financially powerful organizations in their tax bracket.
New exchanges must replace MtGox for btc to spread naturally, its just a matter of how and when.
Bullshit. The name MtGox was originally registered because the guy had thought of maging Magic the Gathering: Online Exchange, but he never used it as such. Instead, he built a bitcoin exchange.
MtGox has not been able to increase its service along with the rise in usership, and so people are finally starting to look for other options. I originally bought bitcoins at Tradehill, but then they closed down. Then I started using MtGox, mostly because they were the biggest. Recently I have moved some money onto CampBX to try them out. There is a battle for the exchanges to attract the most customers, and MtGox seems to be using the tactic of "Choose us because we are the biggest", without actually providing any better benefits, and as people try other exchanges that one advantage in MtGox's favor is going to go away.
You know, it might be bullshit. I read it somewhere but that doesn't make it true. I knew the original intent for the name so I googled it and that was the most truthful seeming of the explanations. What are your sources?
