One interesting fact that could be contributing to bitcoin’s present level of sustainability is its recent (and indirect) partnership with altcoin competitor Ethereum. Following a massive crowdsale that saw Ether’s rise to the top, many wondered if Bitcoin was destined for a twisting vacation down south. However, bitcoin quickly recovered, and while Ethereum earned its 15 minutes of fame, trading did not reach levels of epic proportions.
Counterparty
Now, as one source puts it, all of Ethereum’s functionality will soon be available via the bitcoin blockchain through the use of bitcoin’s new Ethereum-style smart contracts with Counterparty. The company has instilled a new port of the Ethereum Virtual Machine to “extend Bitcoin’s capabilities to include smart contracts – allowing decentralized autonomous organizations, social networks and identity systems, programmatic escrow systems, gambling and prediction markets.”
http://bitcoinist.net/counterparty-fuel-bitcoin-price/
