Energetic user base? I can name no fewer than ten other altcoins I've looked into that had an "energetic user base" that fell flat on their faces within months of their launch. Litecoin has been around for three years...and is STILL #2 by a mile. The only coin to have breathed the rarified air of Litecoin was Auroracoin, which was probably the biggest pump & dump that crypto-currency has seen, yet.

Dogecoin's got perhaps the most vocal and active user groups in crypto. It was launched in December 2013 - it's only been around for six months and it's already bleeding out, in spite of all the social media and marketing. Dogecoin has collected virtually none of the new ASIC hashrate to itself and the price has been on a steady slide, with no signs of ever reversing course.

Meanwhile, look at Litecoin. Still, after all this time, the #2 market cap coin and attracting virtually ALL of the new ASIC hashrate to itself. Nobody should fool themselves, these Scrypt ASICs were made in support of Litecoin.

There isn't a coin out there that's closing the gap. Darkcoin has made price gains but that's because it is the PERFECT pump and dump story. It's got an extremely small float (easier to manipulate the market) and it has a story (anonymity)...but its primary feature is not desirable to most and will prevent widespread adoption. The market where one would think it'd be highly desired - the Silk Road - has not adopted it...because there's no need. So in light of this information, I think it's clear that it's just another in the constantly revolving door of pumps to hit #3 before they're dumped. But there will be Litecoin, still. It was there before, and it'll be there after.