Any real world purpose ? yes, there are lots of debitcard providers onboard with Dash or soon getting onboard with Dash that make Dash useable in the world. Also Dash got added recentely
to Whaleclub as a second base currency (first one is Bitcoin), which means Dash can be traded now on traditional markets like stocks, metals, forex and bonds.
Not to mention that integration with Wall of Coins opens up a whole new OTC market for Dash.
With regards to the transactions, that will no doubt increase over time. Specially once Dash Evolution goes public end of this year (also be informed the alpha release is now only a few months away).
One could say that this is smart money getting into Dash, in anticipation of Dash Evolution and maybe also because people are getting aware of the problems with Bitcoin.
Problems with reaching consensus about the direction that Bitcoin should take, the delay in the confirmation time of its transactions, problems with high fees.
There is still pretty much a civil war raging that is tearing Bitcoin apart and is undermining its world usage and most certainly it is preventing world adoption.
Bitcoin is slowly turning into a store of value only, with high fees while growing ever more centralized. In the end it will be nothing more then digital gold.
Dash can offer people a choice, for masternode owners it can offer Dash as a store of value with its steady stream of masternode rewards, for merchants it can offer instant payments to settle point of sale
transactions in their shop and for not crypto users it can soon offer bearing accounts, where they can earn some interest by just holding their Dash in a saving account (this will be part of Dash Evolution).
Dash can also offer optional privacy on the blockchain, while keeping its compatibility with Bitcoin.
What Dash is doing is basicly jumpstarting its infrastructure and its developing and spreading its own ecosystem. People are starting to notice it this year, when they read the many announcements
of Dash strategic partnerships with exchanges, wallet providers and businesses that Dash has been preparing these last two years. This process will only get stronger in the next few years.
What you are witnessing is the birth of a true decentralized autonomous organisation and the power that comes with it, the power to disrupt.
Bitcoin's problems are to the benefit of altcoins up and down the scale, including Dash. Which ones will benefit the most remains to be seen. Perhaps Dash's flaws such as the fastmine-fuckup will be overlooked, perhaps not. Personally I couldn't sleep at night holding Dash while knowing that there were a ton of competitors with fairer launches and equal or better technology. Just because Bitcoin's ability to adapt has stagnated recently doesn't give me any reason to believe that Dash usage is going to increase.
https://twitter.com/SatoshiLite/status/825121572776075269Even his top 8 altcoins don't include your horse. I'm betting that he's not alone in these thoughts.
How about top 2?
BTC LTC
ETH ETC
XMR ZEC
DCR XMR