Bitcoin was more of a proof of concept than anything else and it worked in an excellent way. It proved that virtual money could be decentralized and kept in personal wallets without any third party interference (beyond the wallet software). That is a ground breaking idea in much the same way as the internet has been able to connect the world together near instantaneously. It should not be considered the end, more like the beginning of a long journey that will require new and optimized refinements to progress - as we see with the many other cryptocurrencies that have spawned since it started, some are coming up with great solutions to the outstanding problems of transaction speed, true anonymity and fees.