The theory behind Bitcoin is very intriguing to me from a technical perspective, but for the time being, I'd steer well clear of it unless you were committed to basically becoming a day trader in Bitcoin and were strictly speculating in it, not trying to invest or even park wealth in it. Even then, the major exchange for trading Bitcoin was hacked just a couple months ago, so it is still suffering some major growing pains.

In the long run, unless the government itself puts forward an e-currency, I can't see how it would gain widespread popularity and acceptance except in fringe transactions. Look at all the other digital or alternative currencies since the dot com days that have bitten the dust. You'll never be able to pay, say, your taxes in one of these alternative digital currencies.