I think of it like this: investors have had years to learn about blockchain thanks to Bitcoin and the other (let’s call them “dumb”) altcoins. With these dumb altcoins, the only reason a software developer would be interested is if he or she was already also interested in investing.
However, Ethereum adds the ability to apply smart contracts to transactions for the blockchain. This is specifically targeting the developer’s skills and therefore widening the audience beyond the simple investor. We’re entering a gap period where developers have to catch up on learning about investing in order for programming smart contracts to be a regular thing.
Then there’s also the uncertainty of if Ethereum even takes off like we are hoping/expecting. Many developers tend to be conservative with their technology choices. Despite what you’ll hear on Reddit or HN about the latest and greatest technology that startups are using, the majority of developers are still happily using proven technology which may be over 10 years old.
RE: The lack of developers understanding the blockchain.