I don't think bitcoin will lose its popularity as it has so many opportunities to earn in this digital money. Well, sad to say that China has totally banning bitcoin trading and initial coin offerings in their community as most of their citizens had used it in money laundering. At Bitcoin is a mystery on how it works and no one owns even gov't can't control it.
https://www.c[Suspicious link removed]m/2018/01/03/china-to-eventually-lift-cryptocurrency-bitcoin-exchange-ban-bobby-lee-btcc.html
You are right. Although China prohibits bitcoin, there are still many investors. Bitcoin is a digital currency. As the Internet technology develops, it will be known by more people.
China must have its own reasons for taking steps that always end up going against bitcoin. When they banned mining, it was due to the increase in the consumption of electricity.
Let me just tell this, electricity is very expensive in China and it also has world largest population so it cant afford a huge number of miners. Opposite to this, in Japan, employees are going to receive salary in the form of bitcoin.