Is Bitcoin still an experiment?
Is Bitcoin still an experiment?


I don't think so. There's no control, and nobody's made one of those three panel boards.

In all seriousness, though, I think Satoshi probably wrote and published Bitcoin because he found it interesting. He may also have done so because it aligned with his political views. Of course, we're speculating on the motives of a guy that nobody's met.

I also speculate that the current Bitcoin developers are part of the project for much the same reason.


  When does the test end? Who declares the end of the experiment?


Anybody could declare it, I suppose. It would be a bit like Emperor Norton ordering the US Army to arrest the United Nations, but they could still declare it.


  As we're nearing the end of 2014 and getting closer to the fifth birthday of Bitcoin, is it still an experiment?


I think the essence of your question is, "Is Bitcoin ready for mainstream adoption?" I don't think so. There's aren't mature payment solutions for physical stores. There are problems with Bitcoin that haven't been sufficiently solved to my mind (primarily detecting double spending).