6 ms·

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

viraptor 12y ago
I don't think bitcoin won yet. I haven't heard of paypal allowing people to pay for bitcoins yet. (as in transfers of funds to exchanges) They accept it for their service, but noone else can.
- pera 12y ago
  Maybe not Bitcoin, but at this point I can already say that cryptocurrencies are the future of the global economy.
  - k-mcgrady 12y ago
    >> "at this point I can already say that cryptocurrencies are the future of the global economy" You can say it all you want - that doesn't mean it's going to happen. Personally I see cryptocurrencies becoming popular enough that 'normal' people use them from time to time and understand how they work but I don't see the entire global economy switching from current currency forms to cryptocurrency anytime in the near future.
    - natrius 12y ago
      Merchants are paying 3% or so to accept money from their customers today. There are zero-fee, instant conversions for customers and merchants to use Bitcoin (Circle and BitPay, respectively). Once the user experience is right, customers will pay using funds from their bank account via Bitcoin with near-zero costs (slight exchange rate differences between services), and merchants will offer their customers discounts to pay that way. Two years from now, merchants won't be paying 3%.
      - dangerlibrary 12y ago
        The only place I get a discount for paying in cash is gas stations. Merchants just charge everyone a little more, and nobody cares.
      - lmartel 12y ago
        There will always be intermediaries taking a few percent--from the consumer's point of view, bitcoin's incompatibility with chargebacks is a bug, not a feature.
      - githulhu 12y ago
        Bitcoin transactions won't always be free though, as the block reward decreases and transaction fees become necessary to incent the network to verify transactions. The fees for bitcoin may end up being roughly the same as traditional banking fees.
        natrius 12y ago
        We'll see. In the near term, merchants can accept Bitcoin for 0%. Customers can send Bitcoin for five cents, and some wallets pay that for you.
        rstupek 12y ago
        We'll see? There is no refuting argument in there. Please provide an example of how you expect bitcoin to remain "free" going forward based on arguments already providing showing how it can't be free.
        natrius 12y ago
        I never said anything would be free forever. I said "we'll see" in reference to credit card-like fees.
      - seiji 12y ago
        In the US, only poor people spend cash. Everybody else spends credit and reconciles at the end of the month (or lets it roll over).
    - jerguismi 12y ago
      Wait until hyperinflation kicks in.
- clamprecht 12y ago
  Using PayPal is a really bad way to sell bitcoins, because PayPal lets the buyer dispute the transaction, reversing payment. If you sell bitcoins via PayPal, you're taking a big counterparty risk (not to mention the 3rd party, PayPal itself).
  - ewoodrich 12y ago
    > PayPal lets the buyer dispute the transaction, reversing payment. What would be the alternative? CC, ACH, and most other payment systems also have a mechanism for chargebacks.
    - deleted 12y ago
      [deleted]
    - tracker1 12y ago
      Small claims court. Seriously, this is precisely the kind of thing common law and the court system is for. Just the same as your recourse with cash. As for international trade, buyer beware.
  - vivab0rg 12y ago
    I'm from Argentina and have 30+ transactions and 100% positive feedback BUYING bitcoins with my PayPal funds on Localbitcoins. Never disputed any transaction and usually send +4% ~ +6% to help the seller with the PayPal fees (plus, I my rates al always better than Bitstamp's). Edit: My Localbitcoins user is vivab0rg if you'd like to check.
    - clamprecht 12y ago
      I live in Buenos Aires (Palermo) and have bitcoins to sell for pesos. Please contact me if interested, and if you live in CABA.
- c0ldfusi0nz 12y ago
  I'd say we're still somewhere in the ignore -> laugh stage.
  - jnbiche 12y ago
    Keep telling yourself that as we change the world.
atmosx 12y ago
BTC becoming an official currency and time travel are the two things I'm not expecting to see in my lifespan :-)

I don't think bitcoin won yet. I haven't heard of paypal allowing people to pay for bitcoins yet. (as in transfers of funds to exchanges) They accept it for their service, but noone else can.

pera 12y ago
Maybe not Bitcoin, but at this point I can already say that cryptocurrencies are the future of the global economy.
- k-mcgrady 12y ago
  >> "at this point I can already say that cryptocurrencies are the future of the global economy" You can say it all you want - that doesn't mean it's going to happen. Personally I see cryptocurrencies becoming popular enough that 'normal' people use them from time to time and understand how they work but I don't see the entire global economy switching from current currency forms to cryptocurrency anytime in the near future.
  - natrius 12y ago
    Merchants are paying 3% or so to accept money from their customers today. There are zero-fee, instant conversions for customers and merchants to use Bitcoin (Circle and BitPay, respectively). Once the user experience is right, customers will pay using funds from their bank account via Bitcoin with near-zero costs (slight exchange rate differences between services), and merchants will offer their customers discounts to pay that way. Two years from now, merchants won't be paying 3%.
    - dangerlibrary 12y ago
      The only place I get a discount for paying in cash is gas stations. Merchants just charge everyone a little more, and nobody cares.
    - lmartel 12y ago
      There will always be intermediaries taking a few percent--from the consumer's point of view, bitcoin's incompatibility with chargebacks is a bug, not a feature.
    - githulhu 12y ago
      Bitcoin transactions won't always be free though, as the block reward decreases and transaction fees become necessary to incent the network to verify transactions. The fees for bitcoin may end up being roughly the same as traditional banking fees.
      - natrius 12y ago
        We'll see. In the near term, merchants can accept Bitcoin for 0%. Customers can send Bitcoin for five cents, and some wallets pay that for you.
        rstupek 12y ago
        We'll see? There is no refuting argument in there. Please provide an example of how you expect bitcoin to remain "free" going forward based on arguments already providing showing how it can't be free.
        natrius 12y ago
        I never said anything would be free forever. I said "we'll see" in reference to credit card-like fees.
    - seiji 12y ago
      In the US, only poor people spend cash. Everybody else spends credit and reconciles at the end of the month (or lets it roll over).
  - jerguismi 12y ago
    Wait until hyperinflation kicks in.
clamprecht 12y ago
Using PayPal is a really bad way to sell bitcoins, because PayPal lets the buyer dispute the transaction, reversing payment. If you sell bitcoins via PayPal, you're taking a big counterparty risk (not to mention the 3rd party, PayPal itself).
- ewoodrich 12y ago
  > PayPal lets the buyer dispute the transaction, reversing payment. What would be the alternative? CC, ACH, and most other payment systems also have a mechanism for chargebacks.
  - deleted 12y ago
    [deleted]
  - tracker1 12y ago
    Small claims court. Seriously, this is precisely the kind of thing common law and the court system is for. Just the same as your recourse with cash. As for international trade, buyer beware.
- vivab0rg 12y ago
  I'm from Argentina and have 30+ transactions and 100% positive feedback BUYING bitcoins with my PayPal funds on Localbitcoins. Never disputed any transaction and usually send +4% ~ +6% to help the seller with the PayPal fees (plus, I my rates al always better than Bitstamp's). Edit: My Localbitcoins user is vivab0rg if you'd like to check.
  - clamprecht 12y ago
    I live in Buenos Aires (Palermo) and have bitcoins to sell for pesos. Please contact me if interested, and if you live in CABA.
c0ldfusi0nz 12y ago
I'd say we're still somewhere in the ignore -> laugh stage.
- jnbiche 12y ago
  Keep telling yourself that as we change the world.

atmosx 12y ago

BTC becoming an official currency and time travel are the two things I'm not expecting to see in my lifespan :-)