Bitcoins, the virtual currency that fell by more than half after surging past $1,100 last year, are probably one to three years away from broader adoption that will challenge industries, analysts at Wedbush Securities wrote.

Venture-capital investments in bitcoin businesses have doubled in less than three months, and programmers are bolstering security, the analysts, Gil Luria and Aaron Turner, wrote in a research note Wednesday.

As bitcoins catch on, they will cut into more than $300 billion in revenue generated by global payments and challenge industries that account for about 20 percent of U.S. gross domestic product, the analysts said.

"The disruption from bitcoin will take longer than expected but have an even more profound impact than anticipated," they wrote. "Bitcoin-related technologies will disrupt payments markets and other trust-based markets within the next few years and for decades to follow."

Such predictions contrast with opinions expressed by financial-industry leaders. JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon has said bitcoins probably won't last after governments subject them to rules and standards akin to those for other payment systems. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett has said he'll be surprised if bitcoins last 10 or 20 years.