Yes it already secured it's position in the year 2017, many people are now days looking some thing new in their daily life so my though is government should elaborate bitcoin technology through out the world wide and make announcement that bitcoin can use able like gold. Bitcoin is completely digital currency and is limited we cannot able to mine more than that like gold.
My thoughts here would be as Bitcoin becomes morr popular and as many people are getting connected here, it will surely increase and people will earn more from here. When you earn more and trade more, its value increases more.
I don't think that the government can do such claim as "Bitcoin is the next Gold" because there is no assurance that it will ever be. Bitcoin is totally on a different category from Gold and we cannot really compare the two from each other. Also what is your basis that Bitcoin is the next gold? Because with its volatility showing I cannot see any relevance to it.