I'm a total noob, but I think the asicminer hashrate must now be an estimate based on the blocks discovered, whereas perviously you could just read it off the pool.

So, it's clear that it's dropped, but a bounce might just be from the odd block being found.

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watched

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I've been experimenting with bitcoin for about a month and now I have a bit of an understanding I want to start discussing my thoughts and plans a bit more.

I'm still a newbie on this forum for the next 20 minutes / next few posts, so I thought I'd start here.

I work for a small environmental cooperative with aims to run cooperative businesses deliver workshops on sustainability in our local area. I have a background in DIY renewables - wind turbines and solar panels - and will likely be doing workshops in these.

As well as the workshops, our first main project is a wholefood collective buying scheme, or food cooperative.

We're also involved in exploring the idea of 'Transition Towns' for our local area.

We've already stated that we'd accept payments in bitcoins for any of our services, but as yet that's probably not going to account for a great deal of trade until we can find (or develop) other local bitcoin users. We could post some of our wholefood produce, so that's a potential benefit.

Another thought is the using BTCjam to raise finance for stock purchases. For example, each time we make a wholefood order for our coop members we sometimes need to pay our supplier before the stock is delivered and before are customers pay.

Also we'd like to expand into things like clothes where we'd likely store them for much longer, so there'd be a bigger gap between when we buy and sell stock.

Since the financial crisis it's even harder than before for businesses to secure finance from banks, but also it'd be exciting to not have to deal with them, so over the next few weeks I'll probably be looking into building a reputation on the BTCjam site, or elsewhere more generally, and put together some plans.

Anyway, it's been exciting so far, including the huge crash, and my sympathies to anyone who got the rough end of that. My impression is that bitcoin isn't a 'safe bet', but it's definitely an exciting investment. Part of the risk must come from the fact that it could be replaced at anytime with something better. I think there's a great deal of value in us as users not being fickle though, and collectively building on the platform of bitcoin seems the best way forward (though I've bought a few litecoins as well!)

Here's the link to our (very basic) website: www.eghamsus.co.uk

It's hard to disagree with anything anyone's said here

I'd like to see bitcoin to make a serious contribution to 'international development' (though I don't really like that term). An international currency has a real potential for alternative economics in places on the periphery of the capitalist economy.

Also, in relation to the hue use of resources, it occurred to me last night that mining rigs could be used as 'dump loads' in renewable energy installations. I have a bit of experience of working with wind turbines, and there is often a need in small scale installations to have somewhere to put energy when there is too much to use or store. With wind turbines, this just needs to be a windy day.

Mining rigs could automatically turn on when the wind is blowing and all your batteries are full.

Pete
Egham Sustainability - www.eghamsus.co.uk

Hi,

I've just got into bitcoin recently and then shortly after discovered Litecoin.

I am involved in renewable energy and sustainability and am interested in alternative currencies because of their divergence from the conventional growth based economy.

I have recently been working on a local sustainability cooperative in Surrey, called Egham Sustainability - www.eghamsus.co.uk

The first part of the Egham project is a food cooperative and I'm hoping to be selling wholefoods for BTC and LTC.

Also in the same town is someone who has worked on a local currency/mutual credit scheme called Favabank - www.favabank.co.uk

Looking forward to setting up a hub of alternative economic activity and integrating cryptocurrencies into these wider ideas.