What is the likely future of Bitcoin—will it become mainstream or fade in popularity, and for what reasons?

I think this video by Andreas Antonopoulos on Bitcoin at Disrupt is a great insight on the future of Bitcoin.

As Andreas cites, we have to stop thinking of Bitcoin as a currency, but more as a protocol, that is designed to do much more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...

Some noteworthy points from this presentation:

• Currency is the first app
• Other apps for Bitcoin can be Distributed Consensus system...
• Distributed (fair) voting
• Stock Voting / Ownership
• Asset Registration & Notarization
• Decentralized Asset Ledger
• Bitcoin is programmable money.
• Election (Electronically)
• Ignore the Price.
• Ignore BItcoin the money. Understand Bitcoin the technology/invention.
• If this Bitcoin currency doesn't work, we will invent another on on top of it (as is with other Crypto Currencies)
• Internet’s biggest advantage is Neutrality. Bitcoin is neutral to the sender and the receiver and the value of the transaction.
  

So as the speaker sums up very accurately, there are apps that are bound to come and usage of the Bitcoin protocol that we cannot (at present) imagine. Its like the Internet, once TCP/IP was made, could you imagine 15-20 years back what would be coming?

The future is extremely promising.