That's right, it's really important that both currencies thrive side by side. We need a good exchange medium outside of $ / £ /
Why do you think it's important to have both? I'm pretty sure we're dealing with a natural monopoly here. There don't seem to be any significant benefits to having two viable blockchain-based currencies, while there a several disadvantages.
Even if another blockchain does overtake Bitcoin, SolidCoin won't be the one to do it. To be successful, the challenger would need to make
significant protocol-level improvements, and even that might not be enough. CoinHunter hasn't done this. Protocol-wise, all he's done is changed a few constants; nothing more complex than what the creator of Ixcoin did.
I should say "don't ask me".
If you got 99 economists in a room and one monkey you should ask the monkey for financial advice.Maybe there is a natural monopoly for one currency, that may not be Solidcoin, but it's just as likely not Bitcoin either.
By all accounts the "First to market" isn't always, or even usually, the final "winner". Look at Altavista V Google, Friendster V Facebook, the list goes on ....