So you seem to make some really valuable points about how money is not just printed out of thin air, and is actually backed by bonds etc. However I think what

So you seem to make some really valuable points about how money is not just printed out of thin air, and is actually backed by bonds etc. However I think what you need to understand with Bitcoin is that it isn't a finished product or in its final state. That is one of its strengths. People are constantly working to improve it. It is literally always under development by the community that uses it. Eventually improvements will be made to improve transaction times, transaction anonymity, efficiency etc... But even without those improvements Bitcoin is being adopted quite seriously by some significant institutions as a means of facilitating transactions. One of the largest retailers in South Africa (where I happen to live), is experimenting with accepting Bitcoin at the till. So I suppose I am not here to preach the gospel that Bitcoin is the future and is perfect, but I would be careful of declaring absolutes like 'unless it sinks in as an actual currency of some economy ... there's no reason for it to maintain it's value.' Mainly because most people that make those predictions (re. Bitcoin) have had to eat their own words.