Just my 2 satoshis - I really think offering the zSIM alternative to M-PESA (or maybe in collaboration?) would be an amazing opportunity, not only for bitcoin but also the unbanked of Africa.

If someone here is ever up against him in a public forum, call him out for what he is - a bigot. Someone who refuses to change their prejudice no matter what the evidence.

And so everyone's aware - btc.sx is funded by the Seedcoin Fund (1) - SFI on Havelock.

I suppose you're right. It's not a scam as such, because it's all out in the open and delivers exactly what it promises.

Caveat Investor

Well, this is my statement so let me clarify:

Statement 1: Holy Shit! You need to pay this scammer US$24,000 before you're even allowed to buy any of his scammy stocks
Statement 2: Fine, I stand corrected. Although I still reserve my judgment on this.
Statement 3: You've just paid this scammer $24,000 so please feel privileged that you're now allowed to pay him some more.
Statement 4: Now I can see why this statement confuses you, as you are clearly far divorced from the real world if you think MPEx offers anything of value to anyone other than Mircea Popescu.

Doing something in the real world means just that. Apple makes computers, Facebook runs a social network based advertising service. NeoBee is launching a bank, MintSpare wants to refurbish old electronics and resell them (I think they're way overvalued, but they are aiming to do something in the real world).

MPOE pays Mircea Popescu.
BitBet is mildly interesting and does operate in the real world. It pays Mircea Popescu.
Ministry of Games does nothing but pay Mircea Popescu.
No Such lAbs talks about cryptography and does nothing. But it pays Mircea Popescu.

I'm just coming on to echo what others have said -

Don't be afraid of telling people your idea. It's the only way you'll get honest feedback.

If your only protection is secrecy, your idea will either fizzle out as you strangle it to death, or be copied by someone bigger and better as soon as it gets to market.

You need to offer something genuinely unique, whether it's the idea itself, the business model around the idea, or your network of contacts that makes it a success.

Apple weren't the first computer maker on the market - their innovation lay elsewhere. TomTom don't own any patents, Garmin have loads - who is the bigger success?

Anyway, I'm rambling. Best of luck. But secrecy isn't as much an advantage as you think it is.

Havelock currently lists 17 stocks, giving 14 unique offerings. Around 6-7 of these are for mining companies, 2 are for banking operations and 1 is for an investment fund into a package of bitcoin startups.

Almost every one of these offerings is doing more for the world of bitcoin than the 4 stocks on MPEx. And none of them funnel money directly into the pocket of the owner of the exchange.

But don't be worried by a lack of dividends, because not every big company even pays them.

Two famous examples are Berkshire Hathaway and Apple.

Thanks very much! Anything shown yet on PIK1/2?

Mikcik,

You get easily excited. Whilst a futures market is good for stabilising the prices of recurring goods, such as wheat or pork bellies, it is purely speculative with regards a fixed asset like gold.

No amount of 'wishing' (i.e. futures contracts) is going to get more gold out of the ground, and certainly not in the quantities required to satisfy the existing contracts.

It is this rampant speculation and dishonesty which led to multiple bank failures in 2008.

May I ask about payments upon the sale of companies in SF-1? Will shareholders also be paid out pro-rata?

Many thanks!

You managed to side-step my question.

Let me ask it again - Do you think it's OK to sell something you don't have?

Once coloured coins become standardised (and are we going to have issues with the UK/US spelling of 'color/colour'?), do you think BTC stock exchanges (Havelock, Cryptostocks) will be encouraged to use them?

Mikcik,

Why do you think it's ok to sell something you don't have?

What if I offer to sell you a car now, just so long as you don't take possession of it for 5 years. Interested?

I'm an investor, and I'm holding back on buying extra shares at this stage, as I imagine many other are.

Show me an updated website, some literature, proof that things are progressing (albeit slowly) on a regular basis, and I'd buy more.

Interesting development. I last heard of the German gold problem a few months ago.

It also shows the Germans are also unhappy holding large amounts of US$…which would mean 'backing' their economy with US$ and ending up at the whims of the US economy at large, rather than a solid asset (gold).

Of course, this depends on the final value of the company (and with a bank, that could be very large indeed, if successful) and the rate of BTC/US$.

I'm still reading, I just don't think this conversation is progressing with just the two of us.

I know, right? Like, why would you want to attract massive investment from a large cohort of people through an independent third party when you've got suckers lining up right here?

Hilarious. And all 4 (yes, four) MPEx stocks are owned by…guess who? Go on…guess. Alright - Mircea Popescu!

So, you get to pay MPEx 50 BTC for the privilege of paying MP even more BTC.

What an honour!

But hey, at least they're producing a financial report each month. Not that the companies they back actually do anything or plan on doing anything. Except taking your money of course.