"This should be interesting..." Politicians are good at coming to a compromise at the last minute. So any number of things can happen. Unfortunately, political solutions will not be sufficient. So .. let's wait and see ...

I can confirm that this has been scheduled for release first thing (AM) on Monday July 6, 2015.

“Suicides are up 36 percent since 2008,” according Arianna Huffington(1). Financial disaster is a serious human suffering. The feeling of helplessness and desperation with nothing left to hope for is a leading cause of suicidal thoughts. I have very strong empathy for those small business owners who have worked hard all their life and lost everything. I have been down that route once. When IBM decided to write-off $40 million and dumped thousands of Dauphin DTRs, due lower demand for the products than projected, in the close-out markets, I lost everything ($ millions) overnight. It was a very depressing experience.

(1)Arianna Huffington
Huffington Post
Today: 07-05-2015
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/?icid=gnavbar_huffingtonpost_htmlws-main-bb

Excellent idea. I am sure that our community will come together and adopt one small town if there is local interest. We will reach out and hold every hand if we have to. Yes, we will do everything we can.

I did a quick check. Seems to be a nice person, perhaps one who believe in DNotes for the long term and tries to build a strong base.

"Greek myth -- that you can cut your way to growth" Sad commentary but this is happening more often than one likes to see. Perhaps when the "cut" hurts someone else, but not you, to many people it doesn't matter, or does it?

Weekend Roundup

Arianna Huffington
Huffington Post
Today: 07-05-2015
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/?icid=gnavbar_huffingtonpost_htmlws-main-bb


This week, while the U.S. celebrates its independence, the world watches a modern Greek tragedy unfold as Greece votes on austere bailout terms imposed by the country's creditors. However the vote goes, one thing is clear: The austerity that came with the two previous bailouts has utterly broken the Greek economy. GDP has gone down nearly 30 percent. A quarter of the country is unemployed, including half of its young people. Pensions have been slashed. The health budget has been cut by 40 percent. Suicides are up 36 percent since 2008. The Troika has authored a new Greek myth -- that you can cut your way to growth. And now they're back, demanding more of what's already shattered the economy. The question is will they shatter the spirit of the Greek people? Just as we value our independence, so do the Greeks, who, after all, invented democracy. No matter the outcome of the vote, feeling some measure of control will help keep Greece's spirit alive

This is one of the better articles I read over the last few days. It explains why DNotes has been doing things rather differently. I am in agreement with the author. Good article. Enjoy.

CoinTelegraph  2015-07-02 08:10 PM
Author
Allen Scott
 http://cointelegraph.com/news/114731/5-donts-for-bitcoin-startups


CoinTelegraph tapped into the experience of several startup founders to get an idea of things aspiring entrepreneurs should avoid when starting their own business in the cryptocurrency industry, which for many is still uncharted territory.

Before big banks began taking a serious look at Bitcoin, some visionaries realized the potential of this new technology early in the game. Many have since started their own companies, such as CoinBase or BitPay, while others’ ventures fizzled out or fell victim to “wild west” conditions of this volatile space.
So what are the most common mistakes that Bitcoin entrepreneurs make? In a follow-up to the 5 must do’s for any Bitcoin business, below are five things crypto startups should avoid to boost their chances of success in the new industry.

1. Don’t Push Your Product If It Isn’t Ready

This may seem like common sense, but far too many startups have made the mistake of promoting a product that’s not ready for market, or worse — one that’s not even operational.

Does your product work? If so, it will not only demonstrate to customers and potential investors that you are for real, but will also facilitate trust, and provide you with feedback that can be used for further improvement.

Simon Dixon, the CEO of BnkToTheFuture, an online investment platform that recentlypassed the $10 million invested mark for blockchain startups, explained to CoinTelegraph:

"We love to invest in Blockchain businesses where we can play with the technology already. We like to see how customers are using it and what they are saying about it.”

Without a tangible product, your idea might still attract believers and even lead to asuccessful crowdfunding campaign. However, not every company is Ethereum, which has been criticized as “vaporware” by some. And while it’s true that software needs time to be developed, tested and honed, a ready-made solution will undoubtedly be much more attractive for users and investors alike.

“I think currently the climate is very untrusting and so I would advise not to say much before you have something real and tangible in hand,” adds Dor Konforty, CEO of Synereo, a fully decentralized social platform. “It's less about ‘ready for market’ than it is ‘working technology.’"

2. Don’t Pitch Ideas to Investors

The invention of Bitcoin opened the door to a whole array of new possibilities around blockchain technology. Hundreds, if not thousands, of novel ideas have sprung up in the minds of ambitious entrepreneurs, from new payment methods to literally going to the moon and beyond by using the blockchain for space exploration.

Dixon says:
“Blockchain ideas are normally funded by the founders. Launched products with customers and a team behind them are funded by investors.”

In other words, ideas are a dime a dozen. Thus, investors are attracted not to just promising ideas, but preferably a launched product that has already established a customer base, along with a team to support further development.

This is because investors are averse to risk. A brand with a ready-made product, an experienced team behind it, along with a clear vision already has a greater chance to succeed than an idea that hasn’t yet materialized, no matter how good it may sound or how glossy that PowerPoint presentation may be.
“Clearly articulate the real-world problem your startup is solving and quantify the value,” adds Ribbit.me CEO, Gregory Simon.

Does your product address a real-life problem? How big is the profit potential of the solution? These are all crucial things to address before making that pitch to potential investors.

3. Don’t Use ‘the Blockchain’ (If You Don’t Have To)

“Is using the blockchain for the problem you're trying to solve really the way to go?” asks Konforty. He continues:

“Too many crypto projects see the blockchain as the ultimate solution to all problems, not bothering to explore the issue they're trying to solve deeply to see whether what the blockchain provides is relevant at all.”

Indeed, many firms, particularly in traditional finance, have jumped aboard the bandwagon using the “blockchain” as a buzzword, while divorcing it from Bitcoin, to create an image of a tech-savvy and forward thinking company.

“It becomes a sort of ‘me too!’ situation where people want to have a blockchain-related product, rather than to overcome a pain using novel means,” adds Konforty.

So ask yourself, is your product reliant on a blockchain to function? Can you use it for transactions, record keeping, as a data layer or for some other application? If not, then it might be best to go the old-fashioned route in order to avoid disappointing your customers and investors.
  
4. Don’t Be Anonymous

Anonymity is great if you are a user who values privacy. However, executives whose company’s success depends on reputation must not only be visible, but they must bereal people who interact with their customers and business partners.
 
One telltale sign of a scam, still all too prevalent in the cryptocurrency industry, is a company without an ‘Our Team’ page, with no photos of its members on its website. Even though some fraudsters are brazen enough to flaunt their online gravitas, most criminals would prefer to keep their identities secret and run off with the cash before the dust settles.

“Transparency is vital for the future success of a company and an important part of this is trust,” said Ronny Boesing, CEO of CCEDK. “It’s the human factor that is vital for success, which is impossible with anonymity.”

Having a transparent team that customers know is real people will instill greater confidence in your product and company as a whole.

5. Don’t Keep All Your Eggs in One Basket

If you are finally seeing an influx of funds — from crowdfunding, investors, sales, etc. — your next move will be to ensure that these funds are secure. Incidents such as the Mt. Gox heist have taught us that digital currency stored in a single place is not only a welcoming sign for hackers, but also for the authorities to confiscate your funds, if they deem your actions illegal.

“It’s getting better than it was a few years ago, but unfortunately, if your startup is remotely related to Bitcoin or blockchain technology, be prepared to have bank accounts shut down with little to no notice,” explains Gregory Simon. “It’s not that banks hate Bitcoin — it’s just the regulatory uncertainty and the bitcoin counterparty risk uncertainty leading these decisions.” He concludes:

“It’s a good idea to have multiple bank accounts set up just in case.”

Multiple wallets, cold storage, multisig, escrow accounts, and other security measureswould all help to ensure that your money is stored safely. Because what could be worse than successfully raising funds, only to lose them all because of something that could have been prevented?

Are you an entrepreneur, or are you thinking about starting a company in the crypto space? Please share your own experiences, suggestions and comments in the section below, which may be used for similar articles in the future.

Note: This is the first part of a multiple part series on ‘Do’s and Don’ts for Bitcoin Businesses.’ Be sure to look out for part two with more tips coming soon.  

That is correct. Among others, DNotes is about identifying industry problems; nationally or globally. Instead of joining the blame game, we develop viable solutions or proposals to help solve those problems.

From a business prospective, it is good business to help solve problems. Problem solvers often become the respected thought leaders of the industry, gaining recognition and respect. That is how we can positively shape our industry. I happen to be very passionate about. It is still a lot of hard work but I am genuinely interested to help solve problems that could to beneficial to others. But what is in it for DNotes stakeholders? Why does it matter? You can share your opinion. From my prospective, problem solving create opportunities. Quite often the bigger the problem solved, the bigger the opportunity. So what do I think of DNotes' valuation today. Well, based on the problems we have solved, in the process of solving and many yet unknown problems we will solve, DNotes is significantly undervalued. I am sure that RJF will track this post down with some unknown comments a year from know.

Let's make a list: 1) Problem - lack of Trust : Solution - create a currency based on trust and integrity.

Please continue from here.

Did I really say that?  Now I wish I can make a prediction about Grexit? Lol, I better not. It's a tough one. Politicians don't make that many decisions that make good business sense. That is why I will make a terrible politician. Enjoy your weekend.

Thanks, Qiwoman2. We love to be of help.

We are developing a response to Greece financial crises scheduled for immediate release first thing Monday AM. Here is a portion of our draft copy subject to change and further editing:

Grexit Digital Currency Long Term Solution? Co-Founder of DNotes, Alan Yong Shares His Vision.

Summary: With Greece's Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras suggesting the Greek government could issue their own digital currency – is this a viable solution? Alan Yong of DNotes explores how an established, ethical digital currency may be the most sustainable long term solution for Greece, and why digital currency enables anyone to access their money whenever they need it.

“This is a very sad and tragic situation. The rich may end up losing a vacation home in a foreign country but many of the less fortunate are at risk of losing their entire life savings, while being too old to rebuild their nest egg. It is even more depressing when no viable political solutions exist to give Greece’s citizens any hope of rebuilding their financial future”, - Alan Yong, tech Entrepreneur and Co-Founder of DNotes.

Thanks for supporting DNotes' forum, Greede.

Happy July 4th to everyone in the United States.

TeeGee, that is an excellent start. When is the video recording? As it turned out, it has been an extremely busy day for me today. I am only posting some general comments tonight.

3 to 4 interviews of 3 minutes each will be great.

My Talking Points could be modified to be questions and answers. It could be one of the four videos. It is good to know the shortfalls of Bitcoin and why mass acceptance of Bitcoin is unlikely

How is DNotes different?
I can help here.

CRISP for Students
What you listed is very good.

I like to share an email with you that I just received from Harry G. Broadman
CEO and Managing Partner         
Proa Global Partners LLC

Quote:

Dear Colleagues:

It had to happen.  Sooner or later some brave member of the Eurozone would find the courage to speak up about the almost unbearable burden the club’s supranational, undifferentiated economic policy rules place on an individual country’s officials to make tough national-level decisions---and right when they are most needed.

Finally fed up with being tied to the policy ball and chain that applies to all Eurozone members, it is no surprise that the Greek leadership called for a national referendum on July 5th to ask the country's citizens if they wish to continue down the austerity road--in effect if they wanted to stay in the Eurozone. That earlier this week Greece's economic policy-makers formally allowed themselves to fall into arrears with the International Monetary Fund is also not surprising.

In my latest Forbes column-- “Where's The Courage In The Greek Tragedy?"-- (http://www.forbes.com/sites/harrybroadman/2015/06/30/wheres-the-courage-in-the-greek-tragedy), I argue that the Eurozone has been, from its very start in 2002, a fundamentally flawed regime, and what has been happening to Greece (as well as to some other Eurozone countries) is actually a logical outcome.  However, Greece—both its current leaders and those who held the reins over past decade and a half--is not blameless for the current situation. 

Regardless of whether or not Greece abandons the Euro, the column details some key actions that are called for if the Eurozone is to have any chance of remaining intact in anything like its current form.

As always, comments on this or on any of the other Forbes columns are most appreciated.

Best,                                                                                                                                                   

Harry

Harry G. Broadman
CEO and Managing Partner         
Proa Global Partners LLC
and
Director, Council on Global Enterprise and Emerging Markets
Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Institute
Johns Hopkins University

Thank you, TeeGee. That is an excellent first draft. I am working on a number of projects at this time. However, I will send you my comments by this time tomorrow.

Thanks, Wiser. Check your email for the information you requested. Let me know if you need additional help.

Excellent first pass. Keep adding and refining the list  with DNotes solutions. May be Wiser can write up the final version to be a DCEBrief.

Thanks, Kevin. DCBrief.com will become a huge contribution to our industry and a real valuable asset to the DNotes' ecosystem. We are consistently identifying industry problems and develop viable solutions to overcome those problems which otherwise will continue be obstacles to mass acceptance of digital currency.

Here is a good exercise for our community. What are the different industry problems DNotes has identified and the solutions it has introduced? You can name one or all. As a group I am certain that we can complete the exercise.

It would have been better if we were given more time. I did have the opportunity to meet with a lot of people in smaller groups and stayed way beyond closing time. I have been kept very busy since the presentation. Our proposed new site DCEBrief.com is partly the result of this event. I came to the realization that many high level executives, including regulators and political leaders lack the time to learn about real issues confronting our industry. There is a serious "knowledge vacuum", causing significant confusion and loss of opportunities.

TeeGee is in the process of producing a number of Youtube videos. Let us know if you have any other suggestions. 

Thanks, we can use more suggestions. DCEBrief will be a very exciting project and of great value to our industry. Part of our success is to be able to address industry problems objectively and provide viable solutions.