Unless you provide me a way to realize bitcoin to actual USD in non trivial amounts with the same amount of effort it would take to convert my stocks or bonds, it is as useful a currency for real life as is my current GTA V Online bank account.

So it's either as easy as stocks or it's useless?

Hmmmmm.

I think you're overstating your case a wee bit there.

Those cable "invest in gold" deals are exactly this but worse - they sell you gold more expensive then the commercial market that can never be redeemed for that price.

But it has a real cost of production that represents its relative industrial worth.

Bitcoin is valueless though. Created Bitcoins do not have any industrial value - you can't use them for anything else, even though they have a cost to create. There's no reason, if they lose value, for anyone to buy them from you - whereas with gold if you sit on it long enough, it will become valuable when someone needs gold for some type of industry at minimum.

Bitcoin is not. No one is obliged to accept Bitcoin as a currency for settling debts anywhere in the world, it has to be converted to something else. Similarly to gold - you don't have to accept gold as payment for debt, but you do have to accept USD.

This is where the problem lies: BTC acts like a commodity, not a fiat currency - and people are treating it like one buying into it. The problem is it has no value as a commodity other then being Bitcoin.

You can at least buy a Ford.

I doubt you can pay your car with stocks alone.

I doubt you can pay taxes with option derivatives alone.

I doubt a lot of people call those funny money.