I've been hearing this more and more from mainstream media sources... maybe they're trying to turn people away from gold/franc/yen? Gold especially has always been a thorn in the back of central banks because it doesn't allow them as much freedom to manipulate their currency and devalue it. People from Eastern countries know very well that gold is the most secure way to protect themselves from a rainy day, and it is a large part of their tradition to buy up gold and resell it several years later to buy something big like a car or a house.

This is why bitcoin is being ascribed similar features. People are turning to it to protect themselves from global risks, like trade wars. If China and the US go into a full out trade war, you'll see a lot of damage on the stock markets and the currencies. Investors will want to protect themselves, naturally.