Pretty much. You can't use cryptocoins to buy food or pay taxes. So pretty useless for day-to-day use. IMO they're just a novelty for would-be anarchist and libertarians, or speculators. It's like "investing" in gold; it has no inherent value. Except this doesn't even exist and can be taken by russian hackers. Cool! ..
To use them (to survive, not just buy stuff on Newegg) you have to exchange for USD and the you're into the traceable monetary system anyway.
I'd argue that it isn't bitcoin's purpose to be used as an anonymous everyday currency.
First off, if you're looking to use bitcoin to pay taxes, then taxes are always associated with an individual or business, so what does it matter if you are forced to go through an exchange to convert BTC to USD to pay the taxes owed associated with my identification with a given government?
I think bitcoin's ultimate purpose is to facilitate global exchange of value without requiring a third-party. It is a broad definition that has benefits that extend beyond minor use-cases. At the moment, if you want to send money to someone globally, it absolutely requires the use of a trusted third party and often more than one and often requires the conversion between foreign currencies. The fact that is necessary gives these third-parties a lot of control and the ability to charge substantial fees to do so.
Bitcoin is global and decentralized. There may come a time where you can purchase food with bitcoin locally, but its main use and biggest benefit comes from its use on the global stage. The more global our economic system becomes, the bigger the need for something like bitcoin.
With that also comes freedom. That means I can just pick up today and leave and go somewhere else anywhere in the world and not have to worry about transferring any funds of any kind from one institution to another to ensure that my wealth comes with me. That's an immense amount of power and is a power that is extended to everyone, not just the wealthy.
So I think bitcoin's greatest strengths come not from its pseudo-anonymity, but from the freedoms it provides. I don't think this freedom of wealth is a quality of bitcoin that should be overlooked. The refugees of the future won't need to worry as much about hitting the reset button on their wealth when fleeing.