Here's a nice read on the growth of cryptocurrency vis-a-vis the attacks that seem to hinder it also:
"Since they first hit financial markets, and moreso as their popularity expands, cryptocurrenciesspecifically the decentralized digital technology that underlies alt-currencieshave also been a lure for individuals looking for an efficient way to hide their identities, activities and illegal financial transactions. Even as the number and types of tokens proliferate, certain alt-currencies have also become the aiders and abbetors of criminal activity, darkside coins if you will."
It really doesn't hinder cryptocurrecy, it's just that some people are afraid to try out decentralized online currencies, or what we call cryptos because they have been used to using centralized mode of payment. What also hinders crypto is the fact that it can only be used when there is an internet, which some people doesn't have access to. What needs to be figured out for now is how cryptocurrencies can be used offline without needing the internet connection.
This is not about cryptocurrency as a whole. This is about completely anonymous coins like Dash, Monero and the rest. The thing here is that whether we like it or not, this is something we cannot expect those who are so full of shit called scammers and criminals will definitely be polluting the space with this dark coins and we cannot just sit and think everything will just keep moving the way they are without some regulatory interventions. I guess satoshi must have seen this one coming to have made bitcoin pseudo-anonymous.