Don't agree with you on your view on Bitcoin Jerry. It's what every other crypto is pinned on. It's like saying GOLD has no business in the area of commerce.
Bitcoin will get faster and offer more capacity to become a truly global, transactional currency.

Once the scaling is sorted, I'm confident there will be a wave of new developments to make it easier and even more secure to use.

For determining what will thrive in future I believe you have to ask what offers something that isn't being offered by anything else at the moment?

Most crypto currencies that are variations on Bitcoin where their unique selling point is a fast, secure method of payment are already dead in the water because Bitcoin has that covered.

What else?

Hmmm...well a social media site which is decentralised and offers rewards to contributors, I don't see anyone other than STEEMIT offering that, so I think that stands STEEM in very good stead.

What about a variation on the blockchain designed specifically for communication between electronic gadgets using a morphed blockchain called 'tangle' which will allow zero fees...ok IOTA it is then, I don't see anything else offering that.

How about a global supercomputer on top of which can be developed decentralised apps that offer smart contract capability, that's Ethereum on the list too.

Everything else is just speculative noise.