[tlrobinson]

Two points:

1) Regarding volatility, I compare Bitcoin to what would happen if a small startup were publicly traded - of course it's going to be volatile. Over time the bubbles will get less bubbly and the price will smooth out. This is already happening, even if it doesn't seem like it.

2) Bitcoin is not just a currency, it's a distributed ledger which can be used to track ownership of any virtual or even physical property, including other currencies. There are a number of people working on these layers on top of Bitcoin already. Eventually you'll be able to get some of the advantages of Bitcoin-the-distributed-ledger without being exposed to Bitcoin-the-currency (expect perhaps for transaction fees).