Bitcoin will certainly continue at the top for years to come. Fact is right now i just thought that none of the altcoin at the moment could come close to what bitcoin is or worthy enough to replace btc... having said that ripple is no exception. Though ripple looks promising, the idea about it being controlled by a central authority will mean it will function almost like the very same fiat system we have today.
Ripple might not meet your ideals, but it certainly functions differently than what we have today and it is better.
