I know someone who was supposed to have Bitcoin as his thesis topic but, he did not push through with it, as the previous batch before him who took on the same topic was asked extensively by the panelist about Bitcoin and how well he knows the structure of it. My point here is that, in order for you to use Bitcoin as a thesis topic, you really have to learn the ins and outs of it as panelist can directly mislead you making you question what you know even if they, the panelist, are not thoroughly familiar with Bitcoin. Nothing wrong with having it as a topic, just know what to do in order to defend its identity and reputation rightfully.

Very well said chocomartin! I for myself am not very techy which is why I would instantly assume or say that this phone will somehow pave way to the awareness of cryptocurrency and would allow strengthening the security of ones wallet through the features offered by the phone. However, what you said really left an impact as this is another perspective I fail to see. Hackers has always been the risk takers and I think what you said is true; that they will take this as a challenge and somehow, they will figure it out, making this phone unreliable and in the first place impractical. Security at its most genuine form is hard to find. Let's all be careful.

This is exactly the point that the OP and other newbies should understand and comprehend. I always see posts in this section on how the merit system is against lower rank members and how it favors the higher ranked members since they wouldn't need the merits. Well here's the thing: not all higher ranked members are merit sources which is why the circulation of merits towards each member, no matter what rank, should be sustained. Despite their high rank, Senior, Hero, and Legendary members are eligible in receiving merits as they are the ones who can spread it around the forum efficiently. Just think of the merit system this way, it doesn't favor any rank as its continual circulation is needed for members to progress in this forum.

I always say that one is never too late in trying or overcoming a certain aspect. If you have genuine intentions towards this forum, then I guess you'll be dedicated in posting informative replies or opinions constructively and wouldn't mind the wait incase your posts does not get recognize. For me, rank should not be the sole basis of your credibility and ability. So don't be in a hurry, take time to learn and as you go along the way you'll be rewarded accordingly just as long as you contribute something interesting and new. We all experienced having a hard time ranking up, the merit system does not make it any harder especially if you know that you are being a responsible member of this forum. So have a different perspective towards it, use ot as a motivation to do better. Good luck!

One of the simple joys in life  is when you open your wallet and you see how much the value of your Bitcoin has grown ever since the last time you checked upon it. I mean it wasn't that long since I last checked, but seeing the value of your Bitcoin rise is can definitely be satisfying and gives a sense of relief.  I am truly glad that the rates are gradually rising. Hopefully it will continue to do so as this just proves that holding is worth it!

Glad to see how the world is slowly accepting and leaning to the use of blockchain technology in branching out to different platforms such as the music industry. Just goes to show how flexible this kind of system is, as it can be used in different aspects. Hopefully, this action would be the start of incorporating such platforms in other industries so that adoption of the use of cryptocurrency and blockchain would be widespread. May this project be a success!

I agree with Harlot. Looking at the situation in Australia, it seems that their action of making BTC and ETH available OTC is an initiative towards mass awareness and adoption; and for this to be successful, compromises such as giving up anonymity must be made. I mean there is nothing wrong with sharing information for the sake of confirmation. If your intention with your Bitcoin involves something that is inappropriate or illegal then, that's when you worry about these requirements. Giving up your identity may defeat the purpose of Bitcoin anonymity, but in order for development in its adoption to occur, certain features really needs to be compromised.

You got that right. It still amazes me how some members can be so creative in finding ways to abuse and cheat the new system just to reach a higher rank and get higher pays. It really just shows what the intentions of people are in this forum. Luckily, we have vigilant DT members and forum member who are on the look out on these abusers. Hopefully, people would understand that cheating would not lead them to any good. One way or another, you will get caught and just put everything you worked hard for down the drain. It's time for people to take things in this forum maturely.

Business has always been a go-to option when it comes to earning income and multiplying it since somehow, if that business is truly good that many people would patronize it, a stable income can be assured. However, with the situation today of having many competitors in this type of venture, you would really have to think of something that is new and worth investing at to assure that what you put out would be returned to you. So basically, it depends on the situation at hand and the feasibility of the business you want to put up. I guess if there would come a time that I have enough Bitcoins to supply any venture I would start, I would make sure it's high earning and long term so that I can regain the profits that I'll put into it. It would take your time, money, courage, skills, and strategy to put up one so make sure your willing to risk all that when you put up a business.

I think that somehow, in a way, and despite the sarcasm, this is what Bill Gates is somewhat really trying to say and imply. I mean let's face it, Bill Gates is one of the richest man in the world. There's no way he wouldn't take into account something so innovative and profitable to multiply whatever amount of money he has now exponentially. There is no doubt that rich people like him would go out and explore different ventures to earn more. It's kind of odd for him to say this because someone like him should be really familiar and aware of the structure of Bitcoin knowing the field that he has belonged to. For sure he has some intentions over it, and knowing how influential he is in the industry, dropping such statements can really be beneficial on his side if you look at the bigger picture. Mind games at its best. 

As we are all working in improving and bringing this forum back to its optimum state, let's try to break this type of stigma of stating that it's going to be hard for low ranked members to come through for the merit system simply because they are new. As the famous saying goes, "you got to start 'em young." Being constructive does not take that much time. As a newbie, I often posted to agree and ask a few questions; I never had the guts to go against ideas since I think I had no credibility due to the fact that I was low ranked. Let's change this from now on because as we can clearly see it, anything is possible in this forum. So if you are really eager to contribute into making this forum a better place, nothing is going to be hard. You can be constructive even if you're a new member, and with regards to receiving merits, you just have to be patient. For if you really are helping this forum out, no rank should define your credibility. A newbie/jr member can receive more merits than higher ranked members if you truly work hard to contribute informative and interesting posts. Just do what you got to do and don't let any rank discourage you from being constructive.

Very well said leowonderful! It has been prevalent that ever since the merit system was established, the focus of most of the members here is to post constructively to earn merits. They don't understand that they are missing the point here, and that is  to share your knowledge with the other members for them to understand the concept in a different perspective. I think that no matter how well composed a reply may be, if it's just repetitive of what others said, then it doesn't have much value. So remember, everytime you post, you do it for the sake of enlighting  your readers and not to earn merits because that's what forums are for, to share your genuine opinions in the most natural way you know how.

Preach, girl, preach! C'mon guys, it's 2018. Don't you have any better jokes yet? What's the big deal if women like us are actually part of this forum? 

And to the OP, I hope you are genuinely aware of how this forum works before you joined in. If you're going to be against it, then I guess you're free to go. If not, I wanted to say that the whole platform will not adjust for your own happiness, but since this forum is so flexible, some of the members here already told you what you can do so you can stop whining. Posts like this is truly unnecessary, let's try to be informative next time.

We may not know what the real reasons are for the hacker's change of endeavors, but all I can say is that somehow and in some way the saying "guilt can truly eat you alive" can still be applicable in the said situation. I mean with all the courage and boldness he had for stealing that amount of money, how can you imagine this hacker turning back and returning them months after? I feel like the guilt and fear in him may have been so strong that it resulted for him to not come through. I mean the outcome of this occurrence is truly unusual, but what now? I dont know how to describe what he did but crimes are still crimes. He should be punished in some way despite returning what he stole.

That's true, I believe that this feature should have been present in this forum ever since it was established since it is essential in keeping a conversation going on threads. It can be such a hassle to go through various pages (especially when you're awaiting for a reply) from time to time, when you can get notified instantly. I guess with a lot of improvements needed in this forum, the "new forum" will be live sooner than we can expect since we don't have any updates regarding its progress. Let's just wait and hopefully this feature would be accounted for!

I guess this can be quite subjective since we cannot just point out that being involved in cryptocurrency is the MAIN reason why students are not doing very well in school. I just feel like the generalization is not fine. I am a student and I know what to prioritize, so maybe for those students whom you referred to as the one having a hard time in school, they may value the cryptocurrency venture more and you can't blame them. Each person has their own reason, if they are failing then that is their fault. Maybe you can tell your students to manage their time well and focus more on what matters. However, since both aspects are important for the future, then I think you really have to let them think of their own strategy to give equal time to both aspects. It's all about priority and appropriate time management.

That's true. I just don't understand how people let other people fool them when scamming has been rampant everywhere. Why can't people be more careful for their own sake? At situations like this, especially when it involves huge amount of profits, people should be more vigilant in where they bring their money. Being smart and doing your own research about a certain person or a company wouldn't hurt to assure your safety. When will people ever learn? Occurrences like these is what gives an ugly image to the reputation of cryptocurrency, but we all have to be aware for our own safety.

I agree with you 100%. Thank you for laying out the pros and cons of both aspect. I do believe that one should not just be solely dependent on the crypto world as it is associated with instability, inconsistency, and uncertainty. Having a real full time job can provide assurance in terms of security and stability in which that aspect alone overpowers what crypto can offer. However, there is nothing wrong with diversifying your sources for profits or assets. So, if you can manage, try to branch out so that security can truly be attained in the long run.

Always admired how states such as Arizona and Georgia openly accepts and promotes innovation in their respective communities. This is a good step towards development and hopefully would be the start of adaptation for other states and countries as this move would definitely raise awareness towards Bitcoin usage and implementation. As CryptoBry highlighted, one action of a well-developed state can greatly influence the others. Let's hope that things would continuously go well so that people would start appreciating how efficient, flexible, and profitable Bitcoin can be.

Exactly. I don't get why they are so concerned with your own valuables. I mean I do understand that some people would feel like it would be wasted if it's not put into good use or just use alone, but that's your Bitcoins and you have the right to choose what to do with it when you're living and when you die. At the end of the day, you have the last say on what action you want to partake with your Bitcoins, it's either you would entrust it to someone else or bring it to your grave with you. I just hope people are not entitled to do actions that would be against their will due to the opinion of others.