..

a bit ago, just after btc had hit 35k or so i think, i talked to my main financial guy whom i hadnt spoken with for a while, maybe 6+ months or so. 1st words outta her mouth were "congrats on your bitcoin call!" she was truly impressed. said more clients are asking them about btc and theyre slowly learning it. said its still a hard thing to grasp from the olde skoole point of view but once traditional finance peeps get more involved it should get interesting. of course their clients dont want the trouble of holding and using btc itself. just as an investment thing. so 3rd party all the way.

but maybe some will truly understand and actually buy the btc instead of some eft or whatever thing that is offered.

"Not your keys, not your Bitcoin."

My coins are not getting out of my deep-freezing cold storage unless there's a really good reason to.

My current salary is more than enough to cover my living expenses, and even some fun part of life. For me, Bitcoin covers two things (in order of importance):

1. Psychological peace of mind that I can do/buy whatever I need, when I need it.
2. Funding my hobbies and fun side of life, without having to look at the price tag before buying the stuff I want.

Bitcoin value has just surpassed the level that enables the above to start happening. Why risk ownership of my Bitcoin, just to earn some interest, and paying it dearly by not being able to sleep at night, worrying if/when celsius.network will go south and take my coins with it? Bitcoin's main benefit is taking out the middleman between the owner and his wealth. Why would I want to add a middleman? Risking messing up something near-100% certain does not make any sense to me. There's no "free lunch" in this life.

"Not your keys, not your Bitcoin."

Edit: Corrected typo.

On a side note:

Hodling during a bearmarket is tough, hodling and not selling it all during a bull market is even tougher lol

clear statement of the US army.



case closed.

Positivity is good but in bitcoins only  

Voor wie het in Keulen hoort donderen: de bitcoin is cryptogeld. Dat is een virtuele munt die enkel bestaat in de vorm van een code op een computer of een geheugenstick. Die code, en dus de bitcoin, wordt aangemaakt door ‘miners’ die hun computers wiskundige opdrachten laten uitvoeren in de zogenaamde blockchain. Zo kunnen er wereldwijd maximaal 21 miljoen bitcoins gecreëerd worden, waarvan er nu al 18,5 miljoen op de markt zijn die een gezamenlijke waarde hebben van 335 miljard dollar (omgerekend zo'n 300 miljard euro). De bitcoin is de eerste maar niet de enige virtuele munt. Er zijn er nu al zowat tienduizend, zoals de etherium en de litecoin

For those who hear it in Cologne: The bitcoin is cryptomoney. That's a virtual coin that only exists in the form of a code on a computer or a memory stick. That code, and thus the bitcoin, is created by miners who have their computers run mathematical assignments in the so-called blockchain. For example, up to 21 million bitcoins can be created worldwide, of which 18.5 million are already on the market and have a combined value of USD 335 billion (approximately EUR 300 billion). The bitcoin is the first but not the only virtual currency. There's about 10,000 now, like the etherium and the litecoin.

Tien jaar geleden werd de bitcoin voor het eerst gebruikt als betaalmiddel. In ruil voor 10.000 bitcoins kreeg de koper twee pizza’s aan huis geleverd. In ‘echt geld’ zou die lekkernij toen 25 dollar (omgerekend zo’n 21 euro) gekost hebben. Een bitcoin was toen, in mei 2010, dus 0,25 dollarcent (of 0,21 eurocent) waard. Vandaag wordt al bijna 18.000 dollar betaald voor een bitcoin. Als die pizzeria haar bitcoins netjes zou hebben bijgehouden, dan hebben die twee pizza’s nu al 180 miljoen dollar opgebracht. Hadden ze dat geweten, dan zouden de kopers van de pizza’s hun bitcoins wellicht hebben bijgehouden.

Ten years ago, bitcoin was first used as a means of payment. In exchange for 10,000 bit coins, the buyer received two pizza at home. In ‘real money’, that spill would have cost USD 25 (roughly EUR 21). In May 2010, a bitcoin was worth 0.25 cents (or 0.21 cents). Today, almost 18,000 dollars is being paid for a bitcoin. If the pizzeria had kept its bitcoins neatly, the two pizza pieces would have already generated USD 180 million. If they had known that, the buyers of the pizza would perhaps have kept their bitcoins.

Het zijn dat soort anekdotes die tot de verbeelding spreken van de bitcoinfans. De meeste mensen redeneren gelukkig anders. Als iets te goed lijkt om waar te zijn, dan is het meestal niet waar. En toch. Die hoge prijs voor de bitcoin is wel degelijk realiteit. En wil morgen een nog grotere gek nog meer betalen voor een bitcoin, dan gaat die koers nog omhoog. In bitcoinland draait de droomfabriek op volle toeren. Volgens een rapport van een analist van Citibank kan een bitcoin ooit zelfs 318.000 dollar waard worden. Zijn dromen dan toch geen bedrog?

It's these kinds of anecdotes that are imagining the bitcoinfans. Fortunately, most people argue differently. If something seems too good to be true, it's usually not true. And yet. That high price for bitcoin is a reality. And if you want to pay an even bigger nut more for a bitcoin tomorrow, that course will go up. In bitcoinland, the dream factory is running at full speed. According to a report by a Citibank analyst, a bitcoin can ever be worth as much as $318,000. Are dreams not a deception?

Er is meer dan één reden waarom de bitcoin stijgt. De belangrijkste is dat de vraag van kopers nu groter is dan het aanbod van verkopers. Er komen dagelijks amper 900 nieuwe bitcoins op de markt. En de meerderheid van de speculanten die bitcoins hebben gekocht houdt die bij. De analist van Citi vond nog een reden. Hij vergeleek de koers van de bitcoin met die van goud in de jaren 70 en ziet eenzelfde patroon. Andere kopers maken zich zorgen over de grote overheidstekorten wereldwijd en het helse tempo waaraan centrale banken nieuwe euro’s en dollars op de markt gooien. In tegenstelling tot de bitcoin is er geen schaarste aan ‘echt geld’. Maar als er massaal veel geld gecreëerd wordt, dan kan het haast niet anders dan dat dat geld minder waard wordt. Die vrees voor inflatie doet sommigen dan ook goud, zilver of bitcoin kopen. Een bitcoin wordt dus meestal niet gekocht om er vervolgens iets mee aan te kopen in de winkel. De bitcoin is vooral een oppotmunt.

There's more than one reason the bitcoin is rising. Most importantly, the demand of buyers is now greater than the offer of sellers. Only 900 new bitcoins are put on the market every day. And the majority of speculators who bought bitcoins keep it. The analyst of Citi found another reason. He compared the course of the bitcoin to that of gold in the 1970s and sees the same pattern. Other purchasers are concerned about the large public deficits worldwide and the great pace at which central banks are throwing new euros and dollars on the market. Unlike the bitcoin, there is no shortage of ‘real money’. But if a huge amount of money is created, it is almost impossible to do anything but reduce the value of that money. That fear of inflation is what makes some people buy gold, silver or bitcoin. So a bitcoin is usually not bought and then bought with it in the store. The bitcoin is, above all, a coin of hoarding.


Waar kan je dan wel betalen met bitcoin? Meer en meer ondernemingen zoals Microsoft en Dell aanvaarden bitcoin als betaalinstrument. In ons land was Mobile Vikings een van de eerste om bitcoin te aanvaarden. Momenteel zijn er zelfs al tientallen winkels, café’s, frituren, kapsalons, … in ons land die een betaling in bitcoin aanvaarden. In Gent, Ieper en Antwerpen hebben bitcoinfans moeite gedaan om een aantal trendy zaken te overtuigen om de bitcoin te aanvaarden. De digitale portemonnee PayPal wil begin volgend jaar zijn klanten ook de mogelijkheid geven om online betalingen uit te voeren in bitcoin, al zal PayPal in eerste instantie die betaalmogelijkheid enkel in de VS lanceren. Toch zijn aankopen in bitcoin niet frequent. Je gaat bijvoorbeeld ook niet betalen in goud als je iets wil kopen. Wie bitcoins koopt houdt die veeleer bij als belegging.

Where can you pay with bitcoin? More and more companies like Microsoft and Dell accept bitcoin as a payment instrument. In our country, Mobile Vikings was one of the first to accept bitcoin. There are already dozens of shops, cafes, fries, hairdressing salons, etc. in our country that accept a payment in bitcoin. In Ghent, Ieper and Antwerp, bitcoinfans have made efforts to persuade some trendy things to accept the bitcoin. The PayPal digital purse also wants to give customers the opportunity to make online payments in bitcoin early next year, although PayPal will initially launch that payment option only in the US. However, purchases in bitcoin are not frequent. For example, you're not going to pay in gold if you want to buy something. Anyone who buys bitcoins keeps them as an investment.

Wie bitcoins wil kopen kan dat op verschillende manieren. De laatste jaren zijn er al heel wat bitcoinautomaten geplaatst in luchthavens, tankstations en zelfs zogenaamde bitcoinwinkels. Daar kan je wat van je euro’s ruilen voor de virtuele munt. Maar door de hoge marge die die automaten aanrekenen betaal je er een te hoge prijs voor een stukje bitcoin. Een online platform om bitcoins te kopen, een zogenaamde ‘bitcoinbeurs’, is een andere optie. Maar hackers zijn er al meermaals in geslaagd zo’n bitcoinbeurs te kraken en er de rekeningen van de eigenaars van bitcoins te plunderen. Dat gebeurde in september nog met de beurs KuCoin. Er werden voor honderden miljoenen aan bitcoin en andere cryptomunten gestolen. Ook al werd een groot deel van de buit ondertussen teruggevonden, het geeft toch geen goed gevoel. En zelfs al worden je bitcoins niet gestolen, dan nog blijkt het in realiteit niet altijd gemakkelijk om je winst weer op je Belgische bankrekening te krijgen. De bitcoin heeft nu eenmaal de reputatie niet mee. De munt wordt nog te vaak geassocieerd met criminelen en fraudeurs. Als je bank de herkomst van het geld  niet kan nagaan zal ze je ook niet willen helpen om je centen weer op je rekening te krijgen.


Anyone who wants to buy bitcoins can do so in different ways. In recent years, a large number of vending machines have already been installed in airports, petrol stations and even so-called bitcoin shops. You can exchange some of your euros for the virtual currency. But because of the high margin that those vending machines charge, you pay too much for a piece of bitcoin. An online platform to buy bitcoins, a so-called ‘bitcoin exchange’, is another option. However, hackers have on several occasions been able to crack such a bitcoin exchange and plunder the accounts of the owners of bitcoins. This happened in September with the KuCoin stock exchange. Hundreds of millions of bitcoin and other cryptographic items were stolen. Even though a large proportion of the spoils were found in the meantime, it does not make sense. And even if your bitcoins are not stolen, it is not always easy in reality to get your profits back into your Belgian bank account. The bitcoin does not have the reputation. The currency is too often associated with criminals and fraudsters. If your bank is unable to trace the origin of the money, it will not help you to get your money back on your account.

Het blijkt dus niet zo eenvoudig om een graantje mee te pikken van de bitcoineuforie. Zelfverklaarde cryptokenners bieden daarom hun diensten aan aan klanten die wel willen investeren in bitcoin, maar niet zelf alle hindernissen aankunnen. In ruil voor een commissie zijn die experts bereid om je geld te beleggen in crypto. Maar er wordt al gefluisterd dat sommige naïeve klanten niet meer aan hun geld kunnen wanneer ze dat weer terugvragen. Dat is op zijn minst verdacht en wellicht goed fout. Trap dus zeker niet in die val!

So it turns out it's not that easy to get a little bit of the bitcoineuphoria. Self-proclaimed cryptoscopists therefore offer their services to customers who want to invest in bitcoin, but are unable to cope with all the obstacles themselves. In exchange for a commission, these experts are willing to invest your money in crypto. But it is already being whispered that some naïve customers can no longer get their money when they ask back. That is at least suspicious and perhaps wrong. So do not fall into that trap!

Wie toch met een klein deel van zijn centen wil gokken op crypto kan terecht bij zijn bankier of vermogensbeheerder. Vraag naar de mogelijkheid om te beleggen in fondsen die geld verdienen aan de stijging van de bitcoin. Overdrijf niet. Het blijft immers gokken. De waarde van een bitcoin is wat een gek bereid is ervoor te betalen. Een stijging is mogelijk, maar het is niet ondenkbaar dat centrale banken later hard optreden tegen bitcoin of dat overheden en de fiscus de winst die je boekt op virtuele munten zullen wegbelasten. De financiële waakhonden – bij ons is dat de FSMA – waarschuwen terecht voor fraude met bitcoin. Als u dan toch bij uw bank bent kan u beter ook informeren naar andere manieren om uw geld te beschermen tegen de waardevermindering door inflatie. Er is niks mis met een belegging in aandelen van bedrijven waar veel gemakkelijker een correcte prijs voor kan berekend worden. Of wat te denken van een belegging in goud? Bitcoin zou ‘het nieuwe goud’ zijn. Maar wat is er dan mis met ‘oud’ goud? Dat is veel minder hard gestegen en doet al duizenden jaren dienst als bescherming tegen turbulentie en inflatie. De bitcoin is daarentegen amper elf jaar oud en niemand kan garanderen dat hij nog lang zal meegaan.

Anyone who wants to gamble on crypto with a small proportion of his cents can go to his banker or asset manager. Ask about the possibility of investing in funds that earn money from the increase in bitcoin. Do not exaggerate. After all, it remains gambling. The value of a bitcoin is what a fool is willing to pay for it. An increase is possible, but it is not inconceivable that central banks will later take tough action against bitcoin or that governments and the tax authorities will tax the profits you make on virtual coins. The financial watchdogs - we have the FSMA - are right to warn against fraud involving bitcoin. If you are with your bank, you should also be able to find other ways of protecting your money from the devaluation of inflation. There is nothing wrong with an investment in companies' shares, for which it is much easier to calculate a correct price. Or what about an investment in gold? Bitcoin would be "the new gold." But what is wrong with ‘old’ gold? That has risen much less sharply and has served for thousands of years as a safeguard against turbulence and inflation. The bitcoin, on the other hand, is barely 11 years old and no one can guarantee that it will last for a long time.

News article from Belgium.... Just google translate if interested

Tears of a nocoiner

https://www.hln.be/economie/bitcoin-stijgt-naar-nieuwe-recordhoogte-is-het-een-slim-idee-om-er-nog-in-te-beleggen-onze-beursexpert-legt-uit~a0653881/

Have any of you guys used Blockfi to get paid interest on some of your hodl stash?  Very intrigued by this and wondering what the downsides are besides the obvious "not your keys" risk.

People are entitled to believe whatever they want to believe.

You're an atheist ? Good for you. I have no problem with that.

Another person is Jewish ? OK.

That person over there a Moslem ? Fine by me.

So long as you're not pushing your faith on people, and make it a focal point of discussion for any length of time, I'm largely indifferent to whatever anyone believes. The Bible and Jesus were a set of building blocks that instilled traditional, good moral values, and I'm appreciative of that, in retrospect.

Now, if you're a Scientologist, Mormon, or Jehovah's Witness, I have nothing but the highest contempt for you.

Satanists are some really strange folk, but it's curious how most everyone of those I have met, are actually pretty affable, if not a bit soft in the head.

BTC off the lows.

Nothing dramatic, but bears are low on ammo it seems.

I would expect another test of $16,300 at some point but this rally has been ... well ... different 

Don’t be out of coins I would say.

...
I feel obliged to come to the defence of English teeth, which tend to be in generally good condition. However, I was shocked to see the state of teeth in Scotland and Ireland during visits - appalling. Unfortunately, they give the entire British Isles an undeserved reputation for poor teeth, when it is in fact the Celtic nations which deserve the reputation. Perhaps Celts have a genetic disposition towards poor teeth? The Scottish diet is also horrific, so perhaps another correlation. Athough, the numbers of those with particuarly crooked teeth (which can be easily fixed at adolescence) in Scotland suggests it might be down to parental and societal apathy....
...

... I've always wondered why in all the democratic world it is only Democrat inner-city US counties that take forever to count their vote?

... they have more people so should be able to count faster ... or? are they stupider? why do they always delay their vote count? do you not find that strange?

In France since the very beginning of the pandemic evangelical gatherings have been superspreader events. Again one the other day. I propose nuking all evangelicals. Seem pretty well correlated in the US, South Korea, and Brazil, too.

The coming flu season will be the breaking point. Normal flu is less lethal during spring and summer so finger crossed how Covid behaves for the months ahead. You don't want to have people hanging on ventilators at the ICU's again.

Vaccine will be ready at the start of 2021 ore later during spring, it's also possible before 2021. All of them are in the 3th fase of testing.

I hope it will be a done deal in summer 2021 so i can enjoy major sports events like Euro football championship with mass gatherings drinking a glas of beer watching the games and of course seeing woman in tight orange football outfits lol.

The top 3 is still worrisome, i expect India to overtake U.S.A sooner ore later. Do not underestimate Covid-19 the danger is still there, stay save.

how do you determine on-chain transations to cost so much?

FTFY, with proactive added note to make sure that you do not dare to think of such offensive terms as “h***band” and “w*fe”.  You are behind the times—in the Dark Ages, using such sexist, gender-discriminatory, hetero-normative, cis-normative slurs!  Don’t you know that a man can become pregnant?  You ignorant bigot, just Google it...  (“Pregnant woman” is now incorrect:  It is “pregnant person”.)

Progress must be made.  Report for re-education.

Jimbo, you, too.

No worries, vaccin on the way

@Coindesk
JUST IN: @coinbase will offer bitcoin-backed cash loans to select U.S. customers, beginning this fall.

@Nate_DiCamillo reports
https://t.co/pE9YP0jZNL

You do not need to earn interest on your BTC - because BTC is already designed to pump forever, and why get preoccupied with interest when it could end up adding too much third-party risk to your BTC investment approach?

In other words, interest on your BTC seems to be a distraction that will lead too many people to give up custody of their BTC when in fact BTC HODLers are more empowered overall by figuring out ways to hold their own private keys.

I seriously used to worry about pumping all my fiat into bitcoin. Look at this ———>





https://twitter.com/awealthofcs/status/1292819472194121728?s=21


Dump your fiat bags for bitcoin!2