Is Bitcoin entering the mainstream FINALLY?

[LiteCoinGuy]

Bitcoin's always becoming more popular, but mainstream is a specific point of popularity which we haven't reached.

yep. i would say that for example, smartphones are mainstream. every "idiot" has one (also myself)

but of course bitcoin gets slowly in that direction.

[Pente]

To really become mainstream, I think we will need a portable hardware wallet that is basically foolproof and trustworthy. We have the technology, it is just a matter of a major manufacturer putting one together.

[mprep]

To really become mainstream, I think we will need a portable hardware wallet that is basically foolproof and trustworthy. We have the technology, it is just a matter of a major manufacturer putting one together.

There are many other problems Bitcoin has for regular users: unstable price, hacking, overall complexity of the crypto-currency...

[rpietila]

Bitcoin will continue to be adopted exponentially more every year. Now it has about 350,000 users (or max 1 million if microholdings count). Perhaps next year this is 10 million, which is still <0.5% of world's adult population.

Mainstream maybe 2015 if this very rapid adoption speed persists.

[kriwest]

To really become mainstream, I think we will need a portable hardware wallet that is basically foolproof and trustworthy. We have the technology, it is just a matter of a major manufacturer putting one together.

You mean something like Trezor?

[Lauda]

Bitcoin will continue to be adopted exponentially more every year. Now it has about 350,000 users (or max 1 million if microholdings count). Perhaps next year this is 10 million, which is still <0.5% of world's adult population.

Mainstream maybe 2015 if this very rapid adoption speed persists.

We have that, and it's too expensive and useless.

[Sage]

Look at the market cap.

We aren't even close to mainstream yet.

The technology just isn't there yet for mass adoption.  It will be, but it's not there yet.

This latest bubble fueled by China's demand is just that, a bubble.  It will pop.   Bitcoin will find a new base... it will bounce around for a few months while that technology gets established.  Then watch and be ready.  We will hit exponential growth.

This run is not the mass adoption exponential growth curve that will indeed happen once the technology is in place.

[Coinseeker]

Does anybody think that there will be a day when Bitcoin completely replaces credit cards, and the banking system? It would completely change the way we use digital payments.

Please post your opinion below.

No.  I don't ever see a day that will happen.  Bitcoin the experiment, is a great proof-of-concept but I believe better, faster, smarter and more user friendly tech will ultimately win the day.  Although Bitcoin will always be remembered as the "brand" that started it all.  Kinda like Napster -> iTunes.

[Valerian77]

there is only one real thread to Bitcoin - another technology is thrown into the market that the majority of Bitcoiners adopt in a short time because it is supported aggressively by many countries at the same time. But if they do then they can also declare Bitcoin as their currency - very unlikely.

[Lauda]

Does anybody think that there will be a day when Bitcoin completely replaces credit cards, and the banking system? It would completely change the way we use digital payments.

Please post your opinion below.

No.  I don't ever see a day that will happen.  Bitcoin the experiment, is a great proof-of-concept but I believe better, faster, smarter and more user friendly tech will ultimately win the day.  Although Bitcoin will always be remembered as the "brand" that started it all.  Kinda like Napster -> iTunes.

Incorrect. While Bitcoin mit not seem like a good enough replacement, an alt will most likely do this one day.

[LiteCoinGuy]

To really become mainstream, I think we will need a portable hardware wallet that is basically foolproof and trustworthy. We have the technology, it is just a matter of a major manufacturer putting one together.

You mean something like Trezor?

http://www.bitcointrezor.com/

No matter how unprotected your computer or internet connection might be, your bitcoins always stay safe with TREZOR. To give you full control over your Bitcoin wallet, TREZOR fulfills several security requirements. TREZOR is Windows, MacOS and Linux friendly. It works with most of the common Bitcoin clients. To use TREZOR is easy and absolutely intuitive.

[Liquid]

when is the trezor being released ?

would you still need one even if you store in cold storage ?

[niothor]

Value =/= adoption

That's why:
Value has increased 20 times in the last year
Use has increased barely 2 times

http://blockchain.info/charts/n-transactions

So , in the last year the number of daily users has increased to just over 50k on average . (this including the famous dice transactions)
Furthermore
The blockchain holds 20 000 000 transactions. Visa has 800 000 000 customers worldwide.
Mainstream? Not even near.

Edit:
Just found this one:
VisaNet authorizes, clears and settles an average of 150 million transactions per day in 200 countries and territories.
So , 3000:1.

[Valerian77]

Edit:
Just found this one:
VisaNet authorizes, clears and settles an average of 150 million transactions per day in 200 countries and territories.
So , 3000:1.

Keep in mind what VISA really is:   
 - in the market since 1970
 - at the stock market since 2008
 - a first hint on their operational model is in http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Inc.#Einzelnachweise under "How Visa operates. In: Forbes. 25. Februar 2008, abgerufen am 9. Juni 2011" -- this link has been invalidated
 - the next hint is here: This is how visa works

From this one may take two lessons:
1. Bitcoin is by dimension faster than VISA
2. Bitcoin does not need to do filthy things to undermine people - its freedom and small fees

From point 2 we all can expect massive attacks of VISA against BTC.

[goxed]

The hype / awareness is reaching a critical mass. I think at least 1 in 20  persons who are connected through the Internet have an inkling about BTC. Casual users have yet to catch on. It's like how Facebook was in 2006 or Google in 2000.

[niothor]

Edit:
Just found this one:
VisaNet authorizes, clears and settles an average of 150 million transactions per day in 200 countries and territories.
So , 3000:1.

Keep in mind what VISA really is:   
 - in the market since 1970
 - at the stock market since 2008
 - a first hint on their operational model is in http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Inc.#Einzelnachweise under "How Visa operates. In: Forbes. 25. Februar 2008, abgerufen am 9. Juni 2011" -- this link has been invalidated
 - the next hint is here: This is how visa works

From this one may take two lessons:
1. Bitcoin is by dimension faster than VISA
2. Bitcoin does not need to do filthy things to undermine people - its freedom and small fees

From point 2 we all can expect massive attacks of VISA against BTC.

It doesn't fu*** matter
They could be around from 1601.

The fact is that the number of trasactions is 3000:1.
The thread was "Is Bitcoin entering the mainstream FINALLY? "
The answer is NO.
If the question was "Will Bitcoin entering the mainstream FINALLY? "
Then all that you have said would mean anything.

[Mahn]

People are slowly becoming aware of Bitcoin, but there's a long way to go from here to mainstream usage. That's pretty much it.

[Lauda]

People are slowly becoming aware of Bitcoin, but there's a long way to go from here to mainstream usage. That's pretty much it.

Give it a few more years and then we might be entering mainstream.

[Valerian77]

Edit:
Just found this one:
VisaNet authorizes, clears and settles an average of 150 million transactions per day in 200 countries and territories.
So , 3000:1.

Keep in mind what VISA really is:   
 - in the market since 1970
 - at the stock market since 2008
 - a first hint on their operational model is in http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Inc.#Einzelnachweise under "How Visa operates. In: Forbes. 25. Februar 2008, abgerufen am 9. Juni 2011" -- this link has been invalidated
 - the next hint is here: This is how visa works

From this one may take two lessons:
1. Bitcoin is by dimension faster than VISA
2. Bitcoin does not need to do filthy things to undermine people - its freedom and small fees

From point 2 we all can expect massive attacks of VISA against BTC.

It doesn't fu*** matter
They could be around from 1601.

The fact is that the number of trasactions is 3000:1.
The thread was "Is Bitcoin entering the mainstream FINALLY? "
The answer is NO.
If the question was "Will Bitcoin entering the mainstream FINALLY? "
Then all that you have said would mean anything.

Yes it matters a lot. And the answer is "Yes BTC is short before being mainstream already".

Your reply is little bit strange - "It doesn't fu*** matter" - I hope you are not one of the nasty VISA guys. If I would work for VISA I would look out for a new job right now before the problem becomes evident.

Since Bitcoin started in 2009 it has grown over 30000% in only four years. And this is just the beginning. When the market flips, what happened often in history, then WU PP VISA and some other companies making lots of money with nothing will disappear or at least shrink to where they ought to be.

[niothor]

Edit:
Just found this one:
VisaNet authorizes, clears and settles an average of 150 million transactions per day in 200 countries and territories.
So , 3000:1.

Keep in mind what VISA really is:  
 - in the market since 1970
 - at the stock market since 2008
 - a first hint on their operational model is in http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_Inc.#Einzelnachweise under "How Visa operates. In: Forbes. 25. Februar 2008, abgerufen am 9. Juni 2011" -- this link has been invalidated
 - the next hint is here: This is how visa works

From this one may take two lessons:
1. Bitcoin is by dimension faster than VISA
2. Bitcoin does not need to do filthy things to undermine people - its freedom and small fees

From point 2 we all can expect massive attacks of VISA against BTC.

It doesn't fu*** matter
They could be around from 1601.

The fact is that the number of trasactions is 3000:1.
The thread was "Is Bitcoin entering the mainstream FINALLY? "
The answer is NO.
If the question was "Will Bitcoin entering the mainstream FINALLY? "
Then all that you have said would mean anything.

Yes it matters a lot. And the answer is "Yes BTC is short before being mainstream already".

Your reply is little bit strange - "It doesn't fu*** matter" - I hope you are not one of the nasty VISA guys. If I would work for VISA I would look out for a new job right now before the problem becomes evident.

Since Bitcoin started in 2009 it has grown over 30000% in only four years. And this is just the beginning. When the market flips, what happened often in history, then WU PP VISA and some other companies making lots of money with nothing will disappear or at least shrink to where they ought to be.

Typical zealot , if he doesn't praise bitcoin he must be working for visa or paypal.
Are you insane?

Let me give you an example:
Gas cars , mass produced for 100 years.
Electric cars , almost mass produced for 4 years.

Are electric cars mainstream? NO. Will they? MAYBE!

The same story applies to the dvd players
One year after their launch they covered less than 2% of the market.
Were they mainstream at that time? NO.
Have they become ? YES!

Same applies here bitcoinbadboy.
It doesn't matter if visa mastercard or paypal or hulamanula have been around for 100 years and bitcoin only for 4.

When the ration goes from 3000:1 to 1:30 you can say people have worldwide adopted bitcoin but until that bitcoin is just a novelty ... nothing more.

Mainstream is the common current thought of the majority.[1] Bitcoin is short by 149 950 000 trasactions/day from that.