I agree it is the first most simplistic, and it's quite hard for it to deviate from its original consensus plan - a store of value, peer-to-peer electronic cash system that has an in-built decentralised transaction history with high-tech-class security. Nothing more should be expected from it, other than for a scaling function to accommodate mainstream usage; because, I think that's the only thing the developers didn't factor in during the early development phase. But for stability and predictability only a centralised system can achieve such regulatory benchmark.
I think that the development of bitcoin shows genius in software development, but not so much genius in financial implementation. Bitcoin is innovative and complex in the software perspective, but it is childish and silly in financial perspective. Modern economy needs a lot more then bitcoin is able to offer as an practical tool.
The system will always be centralized around something. The software development of bitcoin is centralized around specific people, and the financial markets of bitcoin are centralized around specific organizations and people. As long as there are people, there will always be natural centralization of systems around people who can do things that most others can't. This is not something that should be fought by itself.