The way I see it I prefer mass adoption instead of huge price. If bitcoin has a huge price that means nobody will not ever use it as money because will be very expensive. All of the people will use it as commodity. Moreover if bitcoin is used mainly as payment system banks and governments will be forced to be more friendly with their customers. If is not, that is anybody use it as digital gold, then banks have nothing to fear and they will continue the known way.

One of the best books imo is "Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies:A Comprehensive Introduction" from Princeton University. The writers has also did a MOOC in Coursera platform with the same subject. So their book follows the same way where with a simple way and using illustrative examples, where that is necessary, they explain bitcoin and blockchain technology and they introduce readers about altcoins too.

I strongly agree with Fleamint view. Monero has some very important features like as it's privacy; that is, the transactions of a user are not publicly visible on the blockchain. In addition, is untraceable because of ring signatures where is not likely that a transaction could be used to identify a person. At last it is not linkable due to two public keys (spend and view) the monero  protocol creates, where only the public spent key is linked with the corresponding private view key of payment receiver.

I partially agree with your statements. I cannot understand the description that bitcoin is elegant but surely is not anonymous. It is pseudonymous. You can say that is anonymous under the rationale sending and receiving without identifying personal information. But if you do any purchases online you have to reveal your real name and address, so your identity is linked with your bitcoin wallet. Moreover bitcoin was not created for every day transactions that is, micro payments. If bitcoin was a good solution for these payments there was not any reason people try to implement solutions like as lightning networks and side chains.

This is not strange for me. Always the same things were happened and will not ever be changed. According to the live count of Forbes, only on the last day (of count) Warren Buffet, the third richest man in the world, added US $ 1.3 billion in his fortune. Check out the ranking of 2016 http://www.forbes.com/billionaires/list/#version:realtime

The way I see it is like saying to put the wolf to guard the sheep. So using my bank I cannot understand what benefits for me to have an account of bitcoins and not an account of strong fiat currency. Moreover I cannot understand the convenience. I really believe is better to keep bitcoin in my desktop wallet and If I want to buy some coins to use sepa?

Do you believe OP that banks and government, so far keeping a 'wait and see' strategy will cross the fingers and wait to die? I am sure not. Some big countries UK, China, Russia has already started to experiment with blockchain so as to create their digital coins https://www.ft.com/content/f15d3ab6-750d-11e6-bf48-b372cdb1043a. Blockchain is a gift for them. Fiat will not crash but will change face; from paper to digital where banks on the one hand will dramatically reduce their costs and on the other easily will control their customers money.

If I am not mistaken if I want to burn my bitcoins I have to send them to an address with unknown private key. But as you post all private keys are compromised. So someone will take my coins and eventually coins would not burnt. Seriously now; none will ever burn his coins because hope lasts forever.

I really believe that Trump will be positive about bitcoin. Previous president had not call to White House any bitcoin supporter had he? Trump before officially takes over the presidency has already met with two of them. Moreover there is another one the budget chief Mulvaney who is an enthusiast bitcoin proponent. Therefore I conclude that Trump is not only the president of USA but is an entrepreneur too and he understands the potentiality of bitcoin and is matter he cannot ignore.

I am pretty sure that in some years most of the people will know about the bitcoin. The reason is not that I believe the user base of bitcoiners will be increased so quickly, where all over the world will speaking  about bitcoin but because of banks. Banks of UK,China and Russia are experimenting in a form of blockchain because they want to create their digital coins. Therefore other (banks)  will follow. People will learn for digital coins so they will learn about bitcoin. I don't know if will dominate among the other currencies because banks and governments will fight against it. But for sure has take its place besides the gold as a scarce commodity.

I really understand that kids today are the citizens of tomorrow; but I find extremely difficult to explain the bitcoin processes in a kid. Even with fiat money is really difficult to explain how it works. So imagine how to describe that bitcoin is a piece of code and this is money. I initially prefer speak to them about fiat, after about credit/debit cards and about 16+ when they are in High school about bitcoin where they have learned some things from IT and Economics lessons

As I read in the opportunity paragraph of Qtum one of the main targets are the social networks. I can understand your goals in telecommunications and supply chain industries but from what social networks can benefit from Qtum? Maybe a decentralized application like as a streamline one or something related with Smart Contracts?

Even though I believe it is difficult anybody to survive after the blast the best place to live temporary is in a nuclear shelter inside a mountain. After that, there are no many places in Earth except some small countries like as Tuvalu, Malta, Iceland but because many believe that WWIII will start in Northern hemisphere countries like Argentina and Chile as well due to located in the southern hemisphere and air clearing up relatively faster.  

No there is not zero network confirmation. Although bitcoin is a payment system and is internet money if we want to use it for micro-payment transactions is pain in the ass. That is, nobody will wait for network confirmation. On the other side, even there is a debate, if is secure or isn't bitcoin, people are developing lightning networks (LN). With LN tiny payments with reasonable fees and almost instantly confirmations will be a reality. Recently developers of lightning networks announced the alpha release https://news.bitcoin.com/lightning-network-alpha-release/

I absolutely disagree and I am fairly confident that bitcoin affects world economy. The most of the members answered they wrote about the price and market capitalization etc.  But it is beyond the price and concerns the way people transact each other. Till now most countries except cards and web banking use paper money as cash. But recently we see a turn to paperless digital economy from some strong economies. All of these try to explore and experiment with blockchain and their implementations of coins. Could anyone thinks that these sudden movements and conversations were made by chance? No banks became aware of  bitcoin's capabilities its increased popularity, they observed that is flexible and they understood that is time to do something before train leave for ever.

If I am not mistaken except two members of the forum had answered in this thread the most gave their vote first to blockchain technology and some were in dilemma so they were neutral between blockchain and bitcoin. So I would like to ask. Without the bitcoin who had give attention to blockchain except some enthusiasts or very creative and inspired people? I am fairly confident  even though I don't ignore the obvious benefits of blockchain that bitcoin is the greatest innovation between them. If you have time drop an eye here http://bankinnovation.net/2015/05/think-the-blockchain-is-interesting-but-bitcoin-isnt-think-again/

The way I see it anytime is good time because:

1. Bitcoins are secure from the possible collapse of your bank (Lehman Brothers)

2. Bitcoins are not inflationary like as your fiat money so is better to have savings in bitcoin than fiat (currency of Zimbabwe)

3. Bitcoins are not ever subject to capital controls (citizens of China)

4. Bitcoins are risk free to haircut (citizens of Cyprus)

5. Bitcoins are risk free to demonetization (Indian rupees)

6. Bitcoins are out of the Big three control (Standard & Poor's, Moody's, and Fitch)

I know a little about captchas because I tried for 1-2 hours a month ago when a member in the forum had post a free invitation. But certainly nobody can say that is a way to earn "free" bitcoins. It is a very demanding job for young people who cannot find something better to do and they are seeking money. Moreover it is not a well paid job. As for the faucets is a good way newbies to earn some satoshis so as to learn the basics of bitcoin wallets and so on but if you try to spend it you will see what the network considers as "dust" . It's really waist of time.   

I strongly agree with Xester's opinion. Bitcoin nowadays has nothing to fear from other cryptocurrencies because is the pioneer and most people know only this and no other coins. The real rival are the fiat digital currencies many countries like as UK, China, Russia are experimenting using a form of centralized blockchain technology. Moreover some countries legalize bitcoin, USA and recently Israel, not as currency but as property what ever that means. Goverments and banks till now they keep a 'wait and see' strategy but will not forever cross the fingers waiting the end.

Technology effects are not always positive but negative ones. Most important from my point of view are:

- The adherence to the machine, and materialistic mentality has as a result the indifference to spiritual cultivation.
- The Intellectual unilateralism and the obsession for technological perfection leads to lose of the measure.
- Passivation of the human being, since the machine has replaced the human thought   weakens the critical thinking and fruitful reflection 
- The deterioration of the creative imagination has as a consequence the directed intention, and easy acceptance of messages.
- People's alienation, loneliness and crisis of interpersonal relationships and values (family, religion, etc.)