Thanks for the excellent info. I was surprised that the Bitcoin network is so slow at 3 transactions per second and ETH at 30 per second. Just to put this in perspective, Visa can process 24,000 transactions a second!!!

So someone like Visa or Master card could wipe the floor with all current Cryptos and offer people everything they need, with the exception of privacy and the security that a lack of central control & governance creates.

Looks like all Cryptos will need to develop larger transaction capacity or be relegated to the status of a boutique product in the future. This is a huge opportunity for a currency to dominate in the long term, as transaction speed and security will speed adoption and acceptance.

The Central banks have been watching Bitcoin and other currencies for quite sometime. I used to think that they would use their power to crush alternative Currencies through their corrupt practices and government force, however, they are letting the systems run, so as to gain experience and identify weaknesses they can exploit.

Perhaps the "Free" Market will kill off the Cryptocurrencies.

Alternatively, the Chinese Government could just make Bitcoin the official Crypocurrency of China and require all miners to register and pay taxes to them. Since 72% of all miners are inside China, they could steal the infrastructure easily through force or by simply cutting off their electricity, most of which Chinese miners get for little or no cost.

Mandating a hard fork would leave the majority of Bitcoins behind the Great Firewall of China.