Cryptocurrency has been through a lot, but in the end it came out stronger than ever. The emerging industry has been hit by FUD, bad actors, drama, bans, scams, and other events that resulted in hurting perception about Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency. It's been a sentimental roller coaster but what doesn't kill you, only makes you stronger. The following are some of the reasons I believe we are in for a prosperous 2018.
A change in Perception
Everyone thinks the banks are trying to bring Cryptocurrency down, but in a more cynical point of view they could've just been spreading FUD after they've done their research and deemed it a real threat to their system thus they manipulated the market with FUD and now that they've filled their bags they are going to turn positive towards it. We will see positive views on it and it will hit the news. Also now that the SEC and CFTC have expressed bullish statements about Cryptocurrency, institutional investors now have solid ground to stand on and they will invest in and use Cryptocurrency. The recent corrections in the stock market only bring more greedy people into Cryptocurrency and we all saw what happened when people got greedy in Crypto (End of 2017 - Early 2018 bull run).
Integration
There are news about governments potentially considering holding Cryptocurrency, western union and other payment systems venturing into blockchain technology, Microsoft recognizing the potential of blockchain and Cryptos and more. Some more specific examples are Bitpay and recently, Litepay. There are also many other projects that aim to create payment systems such as Monaco and TenX.
Entertainment
Ultimately this is what brings the industry into the mainstream adoption phase. Whether it be gaming, streaming and even social media, Cryptocurrency is about to hit these as well; with projects such as TRON that aims to revolutionize the entertainment industry with advance blockchain technology and Funfair that aims to integrate their token into the casino industry. We all saw how games such as Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, and Color Switch became very popular with the youth. Also platforms such as Twitch.tv and Social media websites have given people the opportunity to earn alot; these platforms could soon have their blockchain based competitors that are ad free and faster but still give content creators better copyright security and revenue.
In conclusion:
As I have said before we have a ways to go, but technology grows and expands exponentially; Meaning the more we run the faster we get. We will hit that tipping point into the mainstream adoption phase and we will start to see regular uses of Cryptocurrencies, It is no surprise that celebrities have already recognized the potential and there's no doubt that within their circle of peers they are accumulating as well. It will take only a few tweets and posts from famous people and suddenly a massive wave of millennials enter this industry. Cryptocurrency will definitely exceed expectations this year and I have no doubt of this happening, it's only a matter of time before this happens, in the mean time, Happy 2018!