Bitcoin is, in many ways, a polarising subject. There are those who embraced it early, who were quick enough to catch on to a fledgling idea and help to transform it into the indomitable force it now represents today. Then there are those, who still remain in the majority, for whom bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general continue to represent a source of confusion and, for some, distrust.

It is, afterall, widely accepted that the volatility and immateriality of bitcoin both serve to deter those who would otherwise benefit from this technology. For many years, the world of bitcoin has remained largely closed to the 'average' everyday internet user, and efforts to explain bitcoin to 'normal' people do not yet seem to have made a significant dent in the number of people embracing it.

Since its advent – and, in particular, in recent months – Bitcoin has proven itself to be incredibly restless in terms of its market value. News sites, even mainstream publications, have been painstakingly tracking the highs and lows of recent weeks, with drastic deviations occurring seemingly at the touch of a button – particularly in the case of Elon Musk's Twitter Bio.

The Gaming World: An Early Endorser

In actual fact, over the years there have been plenty of noteworthy attempts at bringing Bitcoin to the fore in areas of the web that see higher traffic levels from the more casual internet users of the world. As with anything in life, there are those efforts that proved largely futile, and there are those that have already proved highly successful.

Compared with the rest of the entertainment industry, the gaming world was relatively quick to adopt this technology – a fact which ensured a more interactive and enjoyable platform through which users can get to know and utilise bitcoin. Guides on how to use bitcoin in online casinos, for instance, have proven particularly popular, as this genre offers the perfect entryway for those who want to get used to spending, receiving and storing money online.

What's more, games that subsist on the trading of cryptocurrencies – most notably here, CryptoKitties – serve to draw in interest from gamers who, in order to join in, must learn to buy, trade, and store cryptocurrency in order to do so. These titles may be relatively niche, but they have already demonstrated a propensity to go 'viral' – or, in the very least, develop an enthusiastic following that draw attention to themselves in online forums, and instigate considerable growth

As with any digital realm, the amount of sway these sites hold varies significantly. The casinos are likely to be remembered as a frontrunner for crypto within the gaming world and, while other games remain in the minority at this point in time, their success online means that we can anticipate further interest from developers in the coming years.

More Approval from Mainstream Entities

While the gaming world may be ahead of other areas of the entertainment industry, it has not been overlooked completely. There have been plenty of movies and TV series to pay homage to this relatively new technology, whereby the world's first came about back in 2018, when the TV series – 'Hard Fork' – was funded entirely by cryptocurrency.

Beyond the entertainment industry, consider the fact that one of the largest digital wallets in the world – PayPal – recently opened itself up to the world of Crypto. As one of the most trusted online entities currently operating, this looks ready to offer many nervous newcomers a safer platform through which to get used to the technology.

In fact, many of the world's most recognised brands have adopted crypto – to varying extents, and to varying amounts of publicity. And, while a little more media attention may have served to bring a few more customers over to the side of blockchain, the fact remains that with notable companies as varied and infamous as Pizza Hut, Google, Ubisoft, Wikipedia, and Subway venturing over the digital border and into the world of crypto, change will continue to happen among mainstream internet circles.

Still, there remains a lingering sentiment that many areas of the web will continue to be led by centralised currencies for the foreseeable future, as fear of cryptocurrency and its volatility persists, and the division between those willing to take the plunge, and those still unaware of the benefits it offers, grows starker.

Why Volatility Will Continue to Deter 'Normal People'

Granted, the past few weeks have seen more Bitcoin deviations, dips, rises and anomalies occurring than usual – the fortunate, and unfortunate, by-product of which is increased attention from mainstream media outlets who would otherwise leave the topic alone. As such, non-Bitcoin users' view of the world of Bitcoin is inadvertently blinkered: rather than seeing the whole picture, they see a snapshot of frantic trading, stock levels plummeting and then rising out of nowhere, and individual users either lamenting or celebrating their own decision to invest.

In essence, recent events may have otherwise passed non-users by, had it not been for the extraordinary circumstances surrounding them.

While the saying 'all publicity is good publicity' may well hold true in most instances, then, it seems highly unlikely that recent events will turn bitcoin into an enticing opportunity for those who already held reservations about this relatively new technology. There are, no doubt, those for whom the market represents an exciting opportunity, but the chances are that the majority of those people will have already dipped their toe in the waters of crypto – at the very least.

Final Thoughts

It looks likely that Bitcoin's incredibly colourful experience this January will likely hold it back within those markets that have yet to embrace it. As a phenomenon it is own right, it will no doubt go down in history as an incredibly exciting – if not stress-inducing – period for Bitcoin traders, but we still have a ways to go before the technology offers more potential benefits than setbacks for the more cautious internet users of the world.

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