The spread is around $2 on Stamp, and not much there at that spread.
https://www.bitstamp.net/market/order_book/

Not sure about the history of a large spread and crashes. I know the spread was often large in the past, but generally after volatility came.

I know Akamai went from 6 bucks to 300 or so. But that was one bubble.
Which Dotcom companies had multiple bubbles, that is the question?

I'm trying to think of 1 stock that actually bubbled again and again.
I'm not talking about markets, I'm talking about individual stocks.

Can anyone think of a few? That would be good to know.

If the economies of the world were doing well, not to mention their monies, then the OP might be on to something with his term "bubble". But what we see happening, by definition, is not a bubble. Bubbles don't pop 4X or so. They pop and that is the end. Not trying to split hairs here but just because the price moved "hugely", that does not mean this is a bubble. But sure, it looks like one at first glance, not to mention the TV keeps (or kept) screaming that.

What we see happening here is a combination of price discovery while economies and currencies are nearing a turning point, dare I say collapse...

That said, I'm not sure we have seen a bottom. I can imagine us going down to the 300 ish level. Some Elliot Wave guys have said the same. I can also imagine us base-lining here for a bit. Hmmm...

IAS

It is a bit of a relative and time dependent argument though.
I mean the internet, at this point in time is a standard thing, like electricity. (Without it there would be no internet, without internet there would be no bitcoin, or would there? Money is faith and we are learning that.)

The internet opened the doors to break the monopoly on information more than anything that came before it, printing press included.
Bitcoin/Cryptos is now essentially doing that with money. I think those are perhaps two of the biggest ways people have been controlled in our history.
To overly granualize this really misses the big picture and power of Crypto's.

You see, what Bitcoin is doing to our understanding of money, and will continue to do, is mind bending as I alluded to above. The ramifications of this are huge.
We are starting to have a consciousness shift, a reality shift from these Cryptos and our understanding of what money is.

IAS

Clearly inflating money at will is a form of slavery, just too bad people en mass don't understand banking. Bitcoin/Crypto is our chance...

Very familiar with Eisenhower's statement. My favorite is Kennedy's speech on Secret Societies (They) killed him a few weeks later.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdUsJHeVXiE

That doesn't shock me. "Victory" at all costs, just wonder for who, or is that what?

A more concerning thing for me is the Military getting involved in video games to desensitize children to killing.
And throw on that offering college to 18 year old kids after a few years of becoming hired killers. (often times).
They should think of raising the minimum age of going in the military to 21, like alcohol. 

We have bigger worries than fake ID's...

IAS

That is usually how it works. Your choice is to fight a corrupt system and get 40 years if "found" guilty or "accept" a lesser sentence, in this case he hopes 15 years...

And in other news HSBC and Wochovia laundered upwards of 1/2 a BILLION dollars in drug money (comp licitly), which was directly connected to the deaths of 10,000 - 20,000 people, and were let off with a fine that amounted to less than their profits as putting anyone in prison would weaken the banking system, said representatives of the banking system (aka court and government).

I think it is a bit short sighted to have said they already laughed at us and attacked us. The attacking has not really yet begun, just the ridicule has.
When Bitcoin and Cryptos start affecting the banking system en mass, expect false flag attacks "funded" in bitcoin to suddenly surface. Expect paper wallets
to be planted and people set up to make it look like bitcoin was involved. The way intelligence agencies are going to attack bitcoin
and cryptos (and not governments per say) is going to shock people. And since these psychopaths own the failing news agencies, they will get
the word out (if anyone is still watching LOL).

The intelligence agencies are basically extensions of privately held wealth and they will try their hardest to corrupt and destroy
bitcoin as it relates to the freedoms they bring. They will try to co-opt it and restrict its use to stop "terrorism" (which yes, if you haven't noticed
is generally state sponsored - on itself.) But, before they do this, they will let it grow, then when the threat is apparent a terror
attack will be blamed (or rather set up) that used bitcoin. I just can't see these psychopaths letting a chance slip by.

If you think this sounds crazy, just look to recent history. We can have obviously falsified information being the reason for invading a country
like Iraq and killing 1,000,000 people and no one went to jail for it. On the bright side though, they didn't get Syria.

But we have a chance as we are not in this alone. Figure that one out... 
Its about sharing

Really, I think it is more about the Blockchain technology (and what will follow) than it is about bitcoin.
But who knows? Bitcoin is more financial and the blockchain is all encompassing.

Over the centuries people have been controlled in just a few ways.
What comes to mind is information and money (and coercion of course). The printing press and recently
the internet changed the monopoly on information and now Bitcoin and cryptos are changing the monopoly
on money. And perhaps more importantly it is getting people to question what is money.

Regardless of doubt or belief, I'm having a hard time finding the actual truth here. I heard from a few places that the charges were dropped as the government didn't have a case. Yes, there was a story that they faked a murder scene, but who has seen that? No one, it is just a story.

I would rather see the people behind the war on drugs going to prison for life. They are the ones hurting humanity, raising black money at the cost of freedom, etc.
Really, Silk Road (which I don't or have never used) seems to be a solution to government Tyranny.
We need less violence, not more.

Its about sharing

What is ironic, or rather expected, is how violent you are with your words, and to more than just one person - apparently because people hold a different opinion that you.
And perhaps it might be better to not address comments out of context. I was very clear on my drug dealer comment. And don't run with a bad argument, your not making yourself look any better.

To answer your defense question - Well, comparing your intellect, accusatory tone, lack of logic, judgement and compassion skills, etc. apparently open minded intelligent people defend him.

You seem pretty angry and violent with your words, perhaps learn to let some of that go. Truth is easier to see that way. Until you do you are just defending your beliefs.
Usually, extra emotion (like what you display) is just concerned with being correct and not truth...

Peace out,
Its about sharing

A bit scary when you see bitcoin being inserted like a meme in common culture.

That said, my background was in Justice, Finance and IT Technologies, so it didn't take long to see that Bitcoin (and Cryptocurrencies) will impact our society in ways that are
just too far beyond most's event horizons to see. It is really interesting to explain, at a basic level, bitcoin to IT professionals and such, and most just can't wrap their head
around it. And even those that say they do, don't generally get involved, which is a verification that they don't really get it...

Its about sharing

Just to clear a definition up. Ross is not a drug dealer, just as much as bit torrent is not an illegal file. You do with the platform as you will.
I've heard mixed things about the murder charge. I thought it was dropped then not. Anyone?

Anyway, if you want to attack something unjust, go for the War on People, I mean drugs. That seems to be something that just benefits corrupt governments.
What Ross is accused of doing, was actually decreasing violence and allowing people to get what they wanted in a safer way. What someone does with their
own body (barring of course that they are too young to decide) is their business, not your business and certainly not the State's business.

When people judge things based on their legality, which is set from mostly corrupt institutions, they are removing thought, compassion, etc. from the equation and
relying on others morality. That is a dangerous game, please see War and the medals you get to kill.
Sometimes you actually have to break a law to do the right thing. Don't let corrupt governments tell you right from wrong but at the same time, be a compassionate individual.

The reason many Bitcoiners liked Silk Road, was because it weakened the State, much the same way that Bitcoin does.

Starting to get the impression that China isn't banning bitcoin outright but is trying to get the same result as banning bitcoin.
Basically, people in countries like China, Russia, etc. don't really respect governments due to corruption. So, these
corrupt governments are careful with words. If they outright ban it, it draws attention. So, plan B is in effect. (But B is for BTC  )

It just looks like they are slowly tightening the noose around BTC's neck. What they don't realize is that Bitcoin is
akin to a digital honey badger with no neck. Now they are Napsterizing Bitcoin in China. Watch new and innovative
ways of getting money into bitcoin appear (e.g. - BTCe for starters accepting deposits). But something much more difficult
to stop is in gestation now...

China can't seem to understand,
Its about sharing

What doesn't make sense is why employees did not speak up on the forums and leak things Waaaaaay before they did (after the shutdown). Were they worried about not getting a check or
I mean they must have suspected a lot and NOT to speak up seems a bit strange.

IAS

What are the number of bitcoins on the exchanges currently, was it something like only 5% (or less) of total bitcoins? That is roughly 500,000 bitcoins.
Not sure how exactly to work out the math as it not linear and new coins would be moved to the exchanges to meet demand, cash out, etc., but it is
safe to say, the move would be beyond violent. It would be a reflection, on a larger scale, of what we saw happen when BTC went from cents to dollars imo.

Just think of one public company and how many shares it has (a few million). Now say instead of there being thousands of companies, each with millions of shares, there is rather a handful (BTC and some "subsidiaries" in LTC, etc. LOL) A move of large amounts of fiat to Crypo's, at this point in time, just seems too early but it appears as though it is going to happen. I get the feeling the infrastructure is being built out, partly, by the same big money that wants to get in. They have to have a foundation first and till then they will buy "off line".

Risto - Regarding your dream. I've done dream analysis for years and love the Jungian method of interpretation where your dream is actually representing other parts of yourself. (If memory serves me correct, thought I might be a bit off.) So, your alt coin is actually just another part of yourself. However you see alt coins (e.g. - Immature but with potential, not quite yet ready, making their mark known, coming onto the scene, an alternative choice, etc.) can be applied to yourself. So, quite simply, if this type of interpretation is valid here, it might just simply mean these other parts of yourself (represented by the alt coins value) are taking a bit of a back seat and shrinking. Just throw your feelings of alts and try to personalize them in this regard. Is quite interesting and I have found valid. To complete the picture you would have to see where you were in the hours/days prior to the dream as some message is trying to be communicated through the subconscious. Of course, it could just be about alts... 

IAS

Regarding washing, what I was saying is that nothing exists right now to wash so many coins thoroughly enough. But even beyond that...

Basically, what I'm saying is, there are so many variables involved (e.g. washing, TOR, VPN, etc.) that he/technology will either slip up somewhere or technology/people will intervene somehow. Might even be a close "friend", lots of money and the police asking questions does that...

Analogously, you hear this talk of side chains with bitcoins, perhaps replacing most alt coins. When the debate on this was going on a year or so ago, I tried to communicate that there would be some type of organic movement that would happen, but it was a bit beyond my event horizon, word wise. I didn't have the words or the direct vision for it. I see the same thing happening with this particular area, this theft, because of the amount involved.

The problem with cleaning so much money is that it just takes 1 Satoshi to bring things back to him, just 1.
And something further to consider is the laundering itself is going to leave a huge fingerprint moving so much around.
Perhaps a fair analogy is how the NSA can still track people who are using TOR because, in part, of TOR's latency. There is a similar, but much clearer fingerprint the thief is leaving as he moves coins around, cleaning or not. The depths at which Computer Forensics is capable of is mind blowing and then throw some big computers into the equation.

A bigger fear is that these intelligence agencies get their hands on the coins and don't tell us...