I know of course that there is much more about Ethereum being a smart contract platform. I only refer to the characteristics of a cryptocurrency. If Ether is used for plain payment purposes similar to Bitcoin, it should be faster with no block size limitations. Let alone the speed (8-17s) is much better for payment purposes. I wonder if there is anything that's still better in Bitcoin, besides maybe the market capitalization that gives is robustness as a payment platform.

Why would Bitcoin remain a payment choice in the long run if it can't have the speed of most recent technologies? Is there any technological advantage Bitcoin still holds over Ether?


As of today, the Bitcoin network is stronger than Ethereum because of the network effects of adoption (by users, merchants, exchanges, regulators, investors, entrepreneurs, the media, etc.).

  • I'm not sure if transaction costs can be a factor. It is expected that Bitcoin transaction fees will raise over time as a mining reward. It is unclear if Ether has any substantial transaction fees as a cryptocurrency.
    – max
    Feb 9 '16 at 13:14
