Wow thanks! I thought it was going to be something sarcastic like but it was actually pretty helpful. 

My sophomore year in college....classmates kept talking about bitcoin and asked me if I was going to buy some and I said something snobby like "sorry, I don't really have time to spend on online games and things like that" 

Thanks for the interesting video!

It could be, but what it does have going for it right now is the recognition....although I guess it's not inconceivable that some other coin down the road pulls an Apple and completely reinvents the field...especially since this whole cryptocurrency idea is so new.  Either way, it will be interesting to watch.

I found Coinbase to be very noob friendly...and they have very fast and courteous service. On the flip side, I had an issue with vanishing bitcoins (a website glitch, not anything serious) within the first week. Also, their prices are kind of high, but I like the site overall and the interface.

Are they not doing all that right now, the only difference being that Bitcoin has not yet "dominated the world"?

Wow! What a nice thing for him to do.

1. This year I believe?
2. I don't know if it was good or bad, but it was the news that they had "discovered" the Bitcoin creator.

I think that's the key. A lot of people I discuss bitcoin with want to get into it, but we are not those technologically savvy types...as it is, the learning curve is too steep for everyday people to adopt it as a currency. For my generation, it's possible with effort but for the older generation, I just don't see it happening with out hardware innovations like you mention.

The Newsweek article about the alleged Bitcoin creator hit rather close to home, so to say.

I think all it really needs is more publicity...less of the bad kind of course, but it helps either way.

Thanks for the explanations! All are incredibly helpful! I finally get it, and wow, that's genius! I admit, I think bitcoin has a lot of issues (learning curve for the dumber folk like me being one) but this is an awe-inspiring innovation nonetheless.

Okay thanks! So far that makes sense but I'm still a bit unclear...

The public and private keys are both generated offline. So even before I generated the wallet, this public address already exists and coins can already be sent to it? But I am the only one who can prove ownership of these coins how? Simply because I am the one who holds this particular private key that is associated with the public key? If so, what is preventing someone else who is also creating a wallet at the same time from generating the same keys? Just mathematical improbability? I think this is what I really don't understand. Thanks all!

I know this sounds really stupid, but I need to understand one thing about paper wallets. I understand that they are created offline for safety reasons, and that the private key never contacts the internet until the funds are to be used...but if it is completely offline, how is it that you can send bitcoins to wallet using the public key in the first place?

So I create this paper wallet offline, then I send a bitcoin to it from an exchange online. Okay so now this 1 bitcoin is sitting in an address that isn't even online? When I want to spend the bitcoins and upload them to an exchange, the wallet magically contains the bitcoins? I tried researching this but I still don't really get it. Sorry if it's really dumb, but I just started recently. Thanks for the help!

Hi all. I am very new to bitcoin so perhaps I am not familiar with all the technical bugs that can occur.  So about a day ago, I purchased 0.20 bitcoin on my Coinbase account, after waiting for about a week for it to confirm my bank account. I did everything up to the identity verification, which it failed me on (I can't really figure out why). I received my bitcoins instantly, as I had a $100 instant buying limit. I also had a tiny amount from that introduction to bitcoin website where they help you set up a Coinbase account. After buying bitcoin for the first time, I also tested out their export transaction data function, which sent me an email detailing the transaction. Very cool.

Okay, flash forward to just a few moments ago. I log on, hoping to be able to confirm my identity and well, there it is right on the screen. Bitcoin balance: 0.00. I didn't really freak out that much, because it's a small amount, but I am still very concerned. I linked my savings account to this site and placed a lot of personal info in their hands. I did log on to my bank account to check if the transaction went through, and it hasn't. Could this be a source of the problem? If it does go through and my bitcoins have not been returned, what do I do? Should I get the bank to try to block it? I am very confused. I also checked my wallet and there were no addresses in it. No transaction history at all, but in the verification section, the "Buy your first bitcoin" requirement was clearly marked as "Pending".

I did chat up a support person and he mentioned that they are experiencing a bug of some type, but that my account indicated it had the correct amount. I was asked to contact their support by email but it looks like they've done that for me automatically (I received an automated email saying they received my request and are working on it). Overall, I think the service was great...they were very quick to respond and said some helpful things that put my mind at ease a bit...but I am still concerned nonetheless. I know Coinbase is a reputable company, and that they are very noob-friendly. Still, please understand that this is all very unsettling to me, that bitcoins can just vanish in such a bizarre manner. I am now quite a bit uncertain about the whole thing...what if I poured my entire worth in from the get go? I'd have a heart attack. Does such events occur regularly on sites like Coinbase? As of right now, I still have the same issue. Is anyone else experiencing this? I know that I should have created one of those offline wallets for safety, but it all happened so fast! I was planning on learning how to do that this weekend....but this caught my by surprise. I should have been prepared, but so soon?  

Anyway, thank you all for considering these issues! I really hope that this was just a one time thing, and I have not lost faith just yet.

EDIT: I have just checked, and everything is back to normal on Coinbase. Phew!

I got this too when I tried to post from my phone. 

I admit, I would immediately sell some just to cover my student loans...but definitely hold onto the rest as there's no reason no to...

I'm not that great of a gambler, so no. But I have tried one of those free bitcoin sites where you bet on your winnings and try to grow them....I keep getting stuck with nothing   

 

Perhaps he could get it removed someday?

Very smart plan indeed...

Hello! I too would like a shot please  

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