This month? That's a little drastic, don't you think? China obviously was a big market, and the ban is giving everyone jitters, but I'm sure Bitcoin will survive. It's riskier than ever, but I'm still holding. I can't blame big holders for wanting to cash out though.

That's kind of troubling. I'm not saying Dimon is right, but along with the crash, this could lead people to panic sell, which would induce another crash. I still believe Bitcoin will normalize to 5k, but recent events have been really tough.

Oh wow. Getting 1 Bitcoin off the bat. You have balls, sir, if nothing else. It's a huge amount of money, and I personally would have put in less, but different strokes for different folks. Still, though, I wouldn't panic just yet. It will recover like it always does. It's just bad luck on your part to have invested immediately after a crash.

Wait, their government is starting its own crypto? I guess that explains the ban then? That's messed up.

Spread awareness lang paps. Tingin ko di rin maganda na ipagyayabang mo yung kinikita mo kasi malamang isipin nila scam. Explain mo na investment yun, kailangan aralin, etc.

Wow, I can only imagine how you feel. But hey, it sounds like you have an intensive background. Starting over should be a cinch for you! It's never too late, and you might as well start sooner rather than later. Good luck mate!

Interesting analogy. I don't agree completely because I am an advocate of modernization, but I don't think Bitcoins will be replaced by any altcoin anytime soon, or maybe ever. I imagine most people look at its value, which is dictated by the rather low supply vs the high demand, rather than the technology behind it. The technology does help, because it does sway people to come and invest, but you're right on the money with needing Bitcoins to buy altcoins. Bitcoins are here to stay.

Woah, that's awesome. I hope Bitcoin gets more traction by actually being accepted as payment, even though I would never use it that way. HODL all the way.

I'm pretty sure everyone encounters this problem. You're risking your hard earned money after all. The safest way, obviously, is to only risk money you can afford to lose. You don't gain as much, but you don't lose much either.

You could also do cost averaging to take mental barriers out of the equation.

They ban everything anyway lol. I'd rather chill and see how it will affect us long term though.

Do you mean schools offering Bitcoin degrees? I don't think that makes any sense because you by yourself can be knowledgeable about Bitcoins by reading online articles and experiencing it for yourself. It makes much more sense to offer electives that deal with cryptocurrencies in general. That would be an excellent idea, but even then, cryptocurrencies have to be fairly wide spread in that particular country.

The article isn't saying that Bitcoin is increasing criminality though. It's saying that Bitcoin is playing an increased role in criminality.

That being said, I don't think Bitcoin is to blame for any rise in cybercrime. It plays a factor, providing an easier form of payment collection, but even if it didn't exist, criminals will find a way as they always do. It is kind of sad that Bitcoins is associated with crime though.

Sounds like a fear monger.

It's true that hackers are more prolific than ever, but that's no reason to not dabble in technology. There are plenty of ways to protect yourself online, and they're only one Google search away. What you need to know, though, is most of the "hacks" around typically rely on user error: phishing with similar sites, making you click on ads, planting spyware on pirated software, etc. It's mostly a matter of awareness. You can take more advanced steps, like a more secure OS after that.

No way. It's not for people who aren't open for learning, though. Bitcoins and the technology behind it could be quite complicated, and could overwhelm you if you don't want it enough. It doesn't matter what you initially know, just as long as you actually take the effort to educate yourself about it. It's kind of like stocks in that sense.

There are several factors as to why Bitcoins are so volatile, and I don't think decentralization is one. It's still largely supply and demand, and the market is still fairly small. Big holders can make the market move to some degree on their own, and issues like China's ban on ICOs could make these holders a bit jittery. The closer we are to mass adoption, the less volatile it should be. That's how I see it, at least.

It should be fine for as long as you're only putting in money you can afford to lose. Projections are high, but you still never know what may happen.

If you're at a loss on this decision, you might want to check out the concept of cost averaging. There is still a degree of risk, but it at least takes emotion out of the equation.

Well, any country can ban Bitcoins. It will take a lot of resources to enforce that, though, and most countries have enough problems. Even if they were able to enforce it, there will always be some who can slip through the cracks, as with everything else illegal. It should discourage most casual users, though.

Man, if another World War occurs, I'm pretty sure Bitcoins will be the last thing on my mind. They do say money makes the world go round, but in war, I'm pretty sure that will only apply to the filthy rich, and maybe not even then with all these nukes around.

That being said, I don't think a war will break out. Nuclear warfare is essentially mutual destruction, and all parties involved would be wise to avoid that. As far as the tumultuous times go, the Cold War was worse, and that was averted. Let's hope history, at least in that aspect, repeats itself.

I am here for the profits, but I'm well aware investing into Bitcoins is not a sure thing. You risk big, you win big.

You will always see some people saying you should never invest into Bitcoins, and it will have no future, but it would be wiser to actually do research and come to your own verdict. I do still read those articles because new insights won't hurt. My opinion still hasn't changed though.

Only if I know they will appreciate it. You could go on and on about the merits and potential of Bitcoin and skeptics will always find a way to spoil it -- for themselves in this case.

Also, shouldn't you be gifting something the recipient something they would actually want anyway? I would prioritize gifts from their registry if they have one. I could be sure they would appreciate that, at least.