Not officially, but I placed it in the context of some other virtual currencies, and that was not a tested opinion, but it was a response from the FMA senior solicitor. 

I was looking at this last week - my local Financial Markets Authority said it would be a regulated futures activity in a foreign currency (Bitcoin) and I would need a license to trade something like this.  Increased my priority for licensing.

Total before fees was 3141.10489BTC for an average of 1.047034963

Asset	Quantity	Price	Date
PPT.B	1289	1.043	2012-08-10 22:00:21
PPT.B	1	1.05	2012-08-10 22:00:21
PPT.B	112	1.05	2012-08-10 22:00:20
PPT.B	30	1.05	2012-08-10 22:00:20
PPT.B	1000	1.05	2012-08-10 22:00:19
PPT.B	60	1.050001	2012-08-10 22:00:19
PPT.B	100	1.05	2012-08-10 22:00:19
PPT.B	283	1.05001	2012-08-10 22:00:18
PPT.B	125	1.051	2012-08-10 22:00:18

The PPT asset transfer is progressing, and I was a little late with the timestamp for this week's sale at 2:00:18 and completed at 2:00:21.

After fees, 3125.399366BTC was realised for deposit. 
Compounding should take this to 4096.761019 and after the 3840 buyback, leaves 256.7610186 for distribution (0.0285290 per PPT.DIV share)

The PPT asset transfer is progressing, and I was a little late with the timestamp for this week's sale at 2:00:18 and completed at 2:00:21.

After fees, 3125.399366BTC was realised for deposit. 
Compounding should take this to 4096.761019 and after the 3840 buyback, leaves 256.7610186 for distribution (0.0285290 per PPT.DIV share)

Sorry to be off topic, but yes, a '98 RZ-S.  It's and auto, my daily driver and occasional track car.  For the 1/4 it would be good for an 11.0 and it's standard stock motor.  I have a couple of youtube vids around, but nothing I'd consider special.

Edit: and the dyno is not "hockey-stick", but nice and progressive.

It's one way of doing it, not the only way.  Different approaches after all.  For instance https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=97214.0

Also consider https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=95372.0
or even this one from the beginning of the year: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=61545.0

Like many things, the solution will arrive and a method will get formalised. 

Thanks for the comment - it's useful to consider different points of view.

If someone was offering that as support for their credit worthiness, then that would probably help some people.  However, credit scores are not universal (for instance, I don't have one) and in a recourse/contractual sense, people are more likely to pay in real life when there are consequences versus bitcoin land where most scams go unpunished. 

Currently 2800 in bids and 2 hours before the buyback and 4 hours before the auction.

I have no particular use for a credit score - I assume you're talking something USA based.  That doesn't help in the framework that is essentially non-recourse loans.

Also, people that have established borrowing reputations are unlikely to need to obtain a score unless they are looking to do something different.  Using ScottJ as an example, our arrangement is working fine and I wouldn't expect him to need to spend 5 coins to get a rating.  If he went to Kluge for a loan, he'd cite me as a reference.

List updated.  There were a lot of changes this week with the interest rate change and things didn't run as smoothly as I would have liked.  Thank you to everyone that has pointed out the gaps.

All going nicely.

Starfish waves in Bitlane's special colour.

I need to update availability, despite paying out a few large deposits, it has shrunk to 4000 and I am not actively looking for coins for deposits currently, otherwise I have several people that would want to add several thousand and I'm trying to keep some availability for small accounts.

However, I see your account is modest, and up to a combined 500 coins I wouldn't have any particular problems running it in two halves given I opened a pair of sub-accounts for someone this week.

Patrick

Yes I do.  (and a successful loan it was too)


I'll add the info to my dirt collection (under the rock) - the object of the exercise, like the WPW thread is to keep data confidential.  For example, today I have done a preliminary rating for someone, very interesting, but it's not public.

As for being shakaru'd, I hope not, but I expect to suffer a couple of painful losses in the course of setting this up.

Yes - as information comes to hand.  It's not a static exercise.  Plus, it would be in the borrower's interest to get an improved score over time as that should lower their borrowing cost.

PPT.B tomorrow - 3000 bonds up for grabs priced as low as 1.04 returning 1.28 in 28 days.

https://glbse.com/asset/view/PPT.B

Reserved for published ratings.



BurtW
Cablepair (added 28-Aug-2012)
Gigavps
wachtwoord





Immuzikation  (added 24-Aug-2012)
Slider1978

Starfish is offering a service for borrowers and lenders based around a personal credit rating.  For borrowers, the cost to obtain a rating is 5BTC.  For lenders, the cost is zero.

To obtain a rating I'll look into the usual stuff I do when assessing a loan.  This will include asking for personal information, and before the anonymity brigade get all up in arms, this is about money so get over it (otherwise it may as well be a donation).

---

Over the past year I have had the pleasure to deal with a lot of very good people in the lending section (the majority), and the displeasure of dealing with some scumbags (the minority).  A little while I ago I introduced a rating system for deposit takers to help identify some of the risk/return trade-offs and that is still a work in progress.

I have also been approached (and I also check with) other lenders when asked for a loan.  I have also been asked by some people about an individual "credit rating" system and I've tossed around various ideas for a few weeks.  The piece that I was missing was related to the dual questions of:

Borrower: "why should I get a Starfish rating?" and
Lender: "why should I trust a Starfish rating?"

My answer to that is to back the ratings with cash. 
If I rate someone and they default on a loan, I offer to take over the loan at the percentages given in the table below.  The offer is only good for one-time per rated person, and excludes interest.  That is a sensible thing to do to prevent various games being played.  Also, loans need to be reasonably well documented, because successful loans can be used by borrowers to improve their Starfish rating, and if a lender wishes to cash-in the guarantee, they need to have documentation as well.

1 Starfish	Bad Risk	up to 10BTC paying 50% for first claim
2 Starfish	-	up to 25BTC paying 60% for first claim
3 Starfish	-	up to 100BTC paying 70% for first claim
4 Starfish	-	up to 250BTC paying 80% for first claim
5 Starfish	Trusted	up to 1000BTC paying 90% for first claim

some questions you might be asking
What if someone defaults?
Obviously a defaulted loan gets a special score of zero.

Why should I pay 5BTC to you?  5BTC is a lot!
You don't have to pay.  5BTC helps sort out those serious about getting a loan from those opportunistic people wanting to scam lenders.  Also, it helps cover the insurance default costs, and the cost of running the scheme.

I got a lousy score - you did it wrong/I disagree with you/I want my money back
Tough - this is designed to weed out bad risk people.  If you're paying to get a rating and it comes out bad, you must have something to cause it, and I'll probably tell you why.  I'm backing my own money on this so if you do default, I carry the risk.

User XYZ got a X-Starfish rating - mine is lower, and I'm better than them.  Why/it's not fair
You'll probably never know and fairness is subjective.  The information held on the people being rated will not be disclosed other than their rating.

I've done X-thousand of bitcoin business with you or XYZ, why do I need a credit rating?
You probably don't.  I have customers I'll lend 1000 coins to on the basis of past performance and recommendations from people that have extended large loans as well.

Lender XYZ is demanding I get a credit rating, but I don't have 5BTC and it's unfair.
Look for another lender, one prepared to take on a different level of risk.  This isn't a compulsory scheme, just one that is available.

Lender XYZ makes terrible loans - won't that drive you out of business?
I'm covering my ass by doing due diligence on the borrower first.

In my dealings I actually look at the people that turn up, and that principle can be seen in the WPW thread.  New deposit takers (who are also borrowers) get added even if they are new, but there is a warning attached highlighting that they have a limited track-record.  The credit rating system was also introduced to help visitors to this part of the forum to help them avoid some of the worst schemes and demand more transparency from the people they are trusting funds to. 

Part of this is that I hold various bits of information that will remain confidential, and that is part of the business that I run.

Weekly interest for those on that option has been paid.  As this is the first week at 1%, please let me know if I've made any mistakes (they happen).

Also, current balances have been updated: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=61262.msg981017#msg981017
(71 deposits covering 15,500 coins)