Fiat currencies definitely aren't necessary, there is an increasing trend towards digitization of currency, and blockchain based currencies are just the next generation of this. The problem is that Bitcoin came out, and everybody treated it as the successor to fiat currency, rather than an incremental improvement on digital currencies such as Paypal and Skrill. I think that if Bitcoin was never invented, but somebody like Paypal had implemented a blockchain technology first, then we wouldn't be in the rivalry scenario that we're in now.
along with the times and technological developments it is also possible that the economic system will change as well as possible fiat currencies will change physical value even the nature of the currency itself but everything cannot be ascertained