Bitcoin Forum

Bitcoin => Bitcoin Discussion => Topic started by: Este Nuno on April 07, 2013, 12:38:13 PM



Title: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: Este Nuno on April 07, 2013, 12:38:13 PM
I predict the market will determine high fees for timely transfers eventually, and subsequently limit Bitcoins growth potential.

The way the protocol functions seems to lead toward this eventuality. It's somewhat ironic that the free market determination of transfer fees will likely constrain Bitcoin's function as an everyday use, free market currency. This doesn't make it any less amazing, but it is something to consider.

One solution could be for payment processing companies to provide their service for less than individuals would pay in fees, Bitcoins answer to Visa I guess. This of course would likely require trust and centralization. I think I remember someone mentioning that Satoshi was quoted as saying that Bitcoin was not designed and never intended to function as a point of sale solution. So I guess this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. But clearly many people are hoping Bitcoin extends it's use to replace all of the current payment processing establishment. So it will be interesting to see what solutions people come up with.


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: wopwop on April 07, 2013, 12:39:52 PM
who cares, there are plenty of flaws in bitcoin's protocol that prevents it from being usable in day to day trade

most of us here are only here to cashout on a higher price, the sooner the better so we can move on


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: GoWest on April 07, 2013, 12:42:23 PM
I predict the market will determine high fees for timely transfers eventually, and subsequently limit Bitcoins growth potential.

The way the protocol functions seems to lead toward this eventuality. It's somewhat ironic that the free market determination of transfer fees will likely constrain Bitcoin's function as an everyday use, free market currency. This doesn't make it any less amazing, but it is something to consider.

One solution could be for payment processing companies to provide their service for less than individuals would pay in fees, Bitcoins answer to Visa I guess. This of course would likely require trust and centralization. I think I remember someone mentioning that Satoshi was quoted as saying that Bitcoin was not designed and never intended to function as a point of sale solution. So I guess this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. But clearly many people are hoping Bitcoin extends it's use to replace all of the current payment processing establishment. So it will be interesting to see what solutions people come up with.

Systems that work on top of Bitcoin, like Ripple, will takeover the responsibility for most transactions, especially micro-payments.


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: wopwop on April 07, 2013, 12:46:04 PM
With regard to being useful for daily hand-to-hand transactions, Berkshire Hathaway shares, 500-foot (150-meter) yachts, and financial district office towers are not are inconvenient mediums of exchange, and yet markets in them exist.

Yeah, but those things have actual real world value

Bitcoin does not


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: chmod755 on April 07, 2013, 12:46:24 PM
most of us here are only here to cashout on a higher price

I'm not. I'm the 1%!


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: Este Nuno on April 07, 2013, 01:12:17 PM
With regard to being useful for daily hand-to-hand transactions, Berkshire Hathaway shares, 500-foot (150-meter) yachts, and financial district office towers are not are inconvenient mediums of exchange, and yet markets in them exist.



Yes, but those are always negotiated for in cash. I doubt anyone has traded their yacht for a few shares of BRK.A.

I assume most people wish Bitcoin to supercede the use of cash in the world economy.


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: mobile4ever on April 07, 2013, 04:29:48 PM

Systems that work on top of Bitcoin, like Ripple, will takeover the responsibility for most transactions, especially micro-payments.

Ripple is under the control of a few people, is that right? The best way to help bitcoin is to provide a truly decentralized market for trading or whatever else people want to do with their money.


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: Rampion on April 07, 2013, 04:32:05 PM
most of us here are only here to cashout on a higher price

I'm not. I'm the 1%!

A vast portion of bitcoiners are in it for the long run. Because it empowers people, not because they want fast fiat profits.

Guys as "wopwop" are just "weak hands" that will allow us true believers to get "cheap coins" in the short term.


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: Tronlet on April 07, 2013, 04:59:29 PM
who cares, there are plenty of flaws in bitcoin's protocol that prevents it from being usable in day to day trade

most of us here are only here to cashout on a higher price, the sooner the better so we can move on
Go away, nobody likes you.

As for the topic, I could be wrong but couldn't the number of transactions significantly increase without making it significantly harder to process the block (aside from the size problem), but as a result significantly upping the number of transaction fees? Such that the current typical transaction fees of .001-.0005 or so (adjusted for changes in Bitcoin's value, of course) would be enough, because each block would have many times more of those fees than in current blocks.

It all depends on what decision will be made about increasing the block size.


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: Mike Christ on April 07, 2013, 05:21:47 PM

Yeah, but those things have actual real world value

Bitcoin does not

So Bitcoin can't be used to make pseudo-anonymous payments over the Internet in a timely manner, and it can't act as a store of wealth, either?  Can a service (that literally nothing else offers as well and in one package) not be valuable?  When you call a maid over to clean your house, do you not pay her because you can never own her, nor short her?


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: cypherdoc on April 07, 2013, 05:32:20 PM
who cares, there are plenty of flaws in bitcoin's protocol that prevents it from being usable in day to day trade

most of us here are only here to cashout on a higher price, the sooner the better so we can move on

you're an idiot. 

i think you should move on NOW.


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: herzmeister on April 07, 2013, 06:00:33 PM
Ripple is under the control of a few people, is that right?

You can fork the Ripple system if you like. Client is open source, server not yet but you can ask them afaik. If you don't trust them with their promise of better decentralization soon, and if you have a better solution to prevent spam and fake accounts than the usage of XRPs, then go ahead.


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: ElectricMucus on April 07, 2013, 06:03:05 PM
who cares, there are plenty of flaws in bitcoin's protocol that prevents it from being usable in day to day trade

most of us here are only here to cashout on a higher price, the sooner the better so we can move on

You are awesome,

I hope you be around for a long time.  ;D


Title: Decentralized system for Bitcoin
Post by: mobile4ever on April 07, 2013, 10:51:12 PM
Ripple is under the control of a few people, is that right?

You can fork the Ripple system if you like. Client is open source, server not yet but you can ask them afaik. If you don't trust them with their promise of better decentralization soon, and if you have a better solution to prevent spam and fake accounts than the usage of XRPs, then go ahead.

Its good that it is open source, but then there is just one server? I believe I do have a better solution. Its just plain PHP, can be open sourced, and will work with freely available software on most servers. Users can make money two ways with this. More coming up... :)


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: Bitcoinm on April 08, 2013, 02:39:36 AM
I'm unsure if Bitcoin is really the optimal p2p currency.  Tor works without fees; why can't Bitcoin be designed differently to work the same way?


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: HappyBitCoinUser on April 08, 2013, 04:11:56 AM
I'm unsure if Bitcoin is really the optimal p2p currency.  Tor works without fees; why can't Bitcoin be designed differently to work the same way?

P2P currently for slow trades waiting on 6 confirmations that take an hour, or use a middle man like MtGox redeemable codes for instant balance transfer.

You'll have power to do either.


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: Tronlet on April 08, 2013, 06:55:36 AM
Tor works without fees;
Barely. And it's quite niche because of it.


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: chmod755 on April 08, 2013, 11:05:28 AM
I'm unsure if Bitcoin is really the optimal p2p currency.  Tor works without fees; why can't Bitcoin be designed differently to work the same way?

Tor works without fees, because many people are relaying for free, however the system is extremely slow compared to VPN services, because without fees it allows for abuse of the system.


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: wopwop on April 08, 2013, 11:09:26 AM
who cares, there are plenty of flaws in bitcoin's protocol that prevents it from being usable in day to day trade

most of us here are only here to cashout on a higher price, the sooner the better so we can move on

You are awesome,

I hope you be around for a long time.  ;D
i will for aslong there's real money to be made in bitcoin and this forum is just a side kick for entertainment


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: chmod755 on April 08, 2013, 01:00:22 PM
i will for aslong there's real money to be made in bitcoin and this forum is just a side kick for entertainment

You remind of the people who bought BTC for $30+ and cried / complained after it came back to $2, but maybe it works for you. Good luck with your bubble mentality!


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: Rampion on April 08, 2013, 01:18:57 PM
i will for aslong there's real money to be made in bitcoin and this forum is just a side kick for entertainment

You remind of the people who bought BTC for $30+ and cried / complained after it came back to $2, but maybe it works for you. Good luck with your bubble mentality!

We need more people with this mentality. Weak hands willing to sell their coins CHEAP!


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: wopwop on April 08, 2013, 01:21:42 PM
i will for aslong there's real money to be made in bitcoin and this forum is just a side kick for entertainment

You remind of the people who bought BTC for $30+ and cried / complained after it came back to $2, but maybe it works for you. Good luck with your bubble mentality!

We need more people with this mentality. Weak hands willing to sell their coins CHEAP!
what are you waiting for? there's enough people selling already


Title: Re: Something that might severely limit Bitcoin's growth potential.
Post by: chmod755 on April 08, 2013, 01:31:07 PM
We need more people with this mentality. Weak hands willing to sell their coins CHEAP!

lol, yes. Gotta love buy high - sell low traders!

Quote from: wopwop
what are you waiting for? there's enough people selling already

He's waiting for YOUR coins!