Test case
Its funny how everyone seems to have forgotten that Bitcoin is only an example of the implementation of the amazing new tech we have created called Blockchain. It's basically a test case on HOW a digital currency based on blockchain would work.
Many alternatives have been created and Bitcoin itself has been changed twice this year resulting in the forks to Bitcoin Cash and Bitcoin Gold. Our current issue with the original Bitcoin is due to a design flaw that is only an issue to to the current network load. Fixing that flaw (increasing the block size or generation speed) will just be a simple bug fix moving more towards a system that can handle the workload we are placing on it. Yes, this may take form of another fork.
This is all part of the ongoing development of Satoshi's original ideas, which may have already been solved by the alt-coins already.
Blockchain is basically the future. It fits in with our move towards distributed computing and will be used to solve other issues we have with transactions involving land ownership, electronic voting and a host of other applications. The entire globe will be able to move to a decentralized digital infrastructure where the entire internet essentially becomes a distributed computing resource used by companies and the public alike. Which is why the threats to Net Neutrality will threaten this.
The "Old Gods" will speculate, wriggle about, moan groan and try to "buy" laws to stop this from happening. They will appear on TV spreading FUD just like microsoft did against the rise of Linux and FLOSS software in general. The Old Gods are already pushing the destruction of the internet's main strength, neutrality. If they succeed they can control and prevent their own death (or maybe evolution), holding our civilization back in the process.
When copyright became too restrictive and openly started strangling the public domain to kill it off, we responded by creating the Creative Commons.
Richard Stallman noticing the increasing tendency towards locking down users into proprietary operating systems kicked off the Free Software movement to counter that. This began the Open Source movement which runs mostly alongside the Free Software movement (with different but largely compatible goals) allowing anyone to take advantage of a more equal playing field. We dont have to remain locked into a companies ideas of how we should use computers thanks to the people involved in these movements.
Every time some of our "Old Gods" have found a way to take advantage of the little person we have naturally struck back with alternatives that at least try and reverse the damage or provide an escape. Bitcoin is just an example of this happening with Blockchain, a whole new technology. The Old Gods cant get that cat back in the bag just like they cant catch the encryption cat that was let it out to the world in the 1990's.
Speculation, FUD, design flaws, bugs, ransomware may kill off bitcoin, but who cares really? Blockchain is out there. Alt-coins galore have already filled any gap. Many will settle eventually.
Bitcoin is like the dot-com boom? Well the dot-com boom and bust happened. Yes, but we still have dot-com today and its huge. We just learned how not to do it.