.... potential replacement for bitcoin. We all thought it was litecoin.
You all thought is was litecoin maybe. Litecoin is so much a clone of Bitcoin such that any fatal flaw in Bitcoin will also be a fatal flaw in litecoin. Litecoin is pointless.
Dislodging Bitcoin is a difficult task but not unachievable. However, currencies like Dogecoin or Litecoin will never be up to the task since they are fundamentally no different from their parent Bitcoin. Only the highly innovative currencies with unique features will be able to take on Bitcoin in the future.
It depends on the further development of the CryptoNote technology. If it is done properly, Monero will be big.
The CryptoNohope technology is the problem and thats why after 2 years there is still no Monero wallet.
It aint going anywhere fast. The bitcoin protocol will win as there is many more talented developers working on that and cryptonohope will be left behind in its dust.
I see a much brighter future for alternative coins using the btc base.