From CNN:

Last week, new U.S. government rules regulating online currencies affirmed the value of what was previously passed off as funny money. Now companies that issue or exchange online cash would have new bookkeeping requirements. For instance, transactions of more than $10,000 would have to be reported.

While one of the big draws of virtual currencies is that they're independent and generally sheltered from the government's watch, the new rules are unlikely to ruin their allure. If anything, they effectively pull the currencies offline and into the mainstream world of finance, making them infinitely more valuable.

...

One thing is almost certain, though: It will regulate Bitcoin, the fastest-growing online currency. Launched in 2009, the online currency works almost like real money. It can be used to buy anything from upgrades on Reddit to pizza. And as Cyrus Sanati reported in December, it's increasingly used to conduct all sorts of shady business, making the anonymous sale and purchase of everything from drugs to guns possible.

More specifically, the new regulations come at the urging of federal authorities. In April 2011, the FBI recommended that third-party exchanges of Bitcoins be forced to follow the same anti-money laundering rules that banks are supposed to follow.

Full article: http://finance.fortune.cnn.com/2013/03/25/online-currency-regulations/

I've been trying to find a gif of the scene in the Simpsons' episode "I Am Furious (Yellow)" of Bart grabbing stock from a toilet paper roll. It's at 0:15 of this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyM3HVdH1Kw

I'm beginning to think that one doesn't exist of that part, which is a shame. If someone is willing to donate their time to make one, I'd really appreciate it (I have no idea how to make gifs).

Thanks!

Got an answer. Thanks!

Closing this listing due to the rapidly fluctuating price of BTC. Maybe I'll try again when it's a bit more stable.

I'm thinking of running for city council in my town. Right now I've been doing some preliminary research (going to city council meetings, reading books on local government and campaigning, etc.), but I'm hoping someone with experience coule give me some first hand knowledge about what to expect and prepare for.

[Offered Services:]

EDIT: I'm putting a hold on accepting new clients until after April 15th due to my increased work load during the tax season.

It seems like the board has quite a few new businesses starting lately with the rising price of Bitcoin. I'm posting this topic here for any person or business looking for an experienced bookkeeper to take care of their books for them. For the time being I'll be limiting my services due to my work schedule, but I plan on increasing the services I can perform as we get closer to summer.

The following lists the services I offer, pricing information, and other details for potential clients. I do require that all clients sign a confidentiality agreement (mostly for their peace of mind) before I work on their accounts. If anyone has any additional questions, feel free to send me a PM.

Offered Services:

• Accounting of all income and expense accounts
• Monthly bank reconciliations
• Financial reporting (reconciliations, profit & loss, balance sheets, income statements, etc.)
• Tracking of A/P and A/R
• Budgeting and other services may be available upon request or in the future

Pricing:

• Bookkeeping rate is BTC1/hour. A set weekly rate can be negotiated if requested.
• Monthly and quarterly reports are free of charge. Additional reports may have an additional charge of BTC0.1.
• Additional requested services may have their own set of hourly rates.

For hourly rate clients: services rendered will only be turned over upon receipt of payment.
For weekly rate clients: services rendered will be turned over immediately and/or upon request.*

Set-Up:

• A meeting can be set up to through PM, email, or Skype to determine what services the client needs.
• A signed confidentiality agreement will be sent to all clients. All clients must sign and return the agreement.
• Files can be sent one of three ways: directly through email, directly through a postal service (USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.), or uploaded through Dropbox.**
• Additional meetings can be scheduled at any time to discuss financial reports. These meetings must be scheduled in advance.

I'll start working as soon as I receive the necessary files. I'll contact clients ASAP when work is finished or if I need any additional information. Reconciliation reports will be created at the end of every month and sent to clients through email, postal service, or Dropbox. Profit & Loss reports will be created at the end of every quarter and sent to clients through email, postal service, or Dropbox.

All client files will be backed up on an external hard drive. Documents uploaded through Dropbox can be retained in the shared folder at the discretion of the client. All documents can be sent back to the client upon request. A client can also have his files stored on a flash drive set aside exclusively for his account upon request for a BTC0.6 fee.



*Overdue payments of more than one week with no explanation or agreement will be charged a late fee of 50% of the overdue payment. Clients with overdue payment charges will not receive reports or services rendered until payment is received.
** Because I am located in the US, I will require clients abroad who wish to physically send and receive their documents to pay for all my shipping costs.

It seems to me like there has been growing concern for lending and currency exchange scams from new members jumping straight out of the newbie section and into those forums. And from what I've seen, most of these scammers are repeat customers: they get a scammer tag, so they create a new account and try it again. This is a process that takes little effort to achieve with the current restrictions on new members. I have two ideas of changes that can be made that will increase the effort needed for scams without imposing a heavy burden on honest new members.

1: I think that the current requirements for new members to post outside of the Newbie forum could stand to be increased. Five posts and four hours of browsing the forum are easy things for scammers to accomplish. To that end, I propose the following changes:

• Changing the new member posting requirement from 5 posts to at least 10; possibly around 15-20.
• Changing the browsing hours from 4 hours to 5-6.

The posting requirement is the easiest change, as well as what I feel to be the most immediate need: five posts are incredibly easy to make. Increasing the requirement to 15-20 would not be a major annoyance to legitimate members. However, I believe the waiting hours have a bigger affect on scam reduction. Five posts can be done in ten minutes, but that still leaves a four hour wait that scammers may be too impatient to deal with. An increase of an hour or two wouldn't change things too badly, and it could be the extra step that turns a scammer away.

2: I also think that, whether hand-in-hand with the above changes or as alternative to them, the forum could implement posting requirements to access forum sections that are prone to scamming (lending in particular). An investment in the forum is a fair exchange to request loans from the members of the forum. My proposal:

• Implement a posting requirement of 100 to 150 posts to access high-risk forum sections.

I see two benefits to this kind of requirement. For one, it puts another step of time in the way of potential scammers. Even if it doesn't prevent a patient scammer from claiming a victim, it will strongly dissuade repeat scammers from creating new accounts and starting over from scratch. They probably will not see a return that's worth the effort; on another note, they may feel the need to pursue more expensive scams that are not as successful (i.e; asking for BTC10+, which lenders are wary of, instead of BTC1-3 scams that are usually more successful).

The second benefit is that it helps legitimate members build a stronger web of trust. A 100 post requirement gives the member more time to provide positive contributions to the forum and to gain a history of successful trades of goods or services. It also gives potential lenders more history to review before they commit to lending.

Edit: To add in a third benefit to this requirement: it could help prevent the creation of sock-puppet accounts used to build false trading histories.


I'm not claiming that these changes will completely prevent scams: dedicated scammers are going to jump through whatever hoops they have to. I do believe that these changes will reduce successful forum scams without turning away honest new members. And while I agree that forum members need to apply their own reasoning and common sense when it comes to trusting others, I also believe that we can better protect forum members in a non-intrusive way.

I like to collect banknotes. I just got some Liberty Dollar notes in the other day to add to my collection and it made me think of starting this topic. I know ALD has a load of controversy surrounding it, but I'm curious to know what people here think/thought of the currency. Did anyone support it before it was hit by the FBI? Anyone support the concept behind it? Anyone hate it to the ends of the Earth?

I posted this in the MultiBit subforum, but I'm adding it here since I'm hoping for a quick response.

I'm using the OSX version of MultiBit, and the application is not responding. I don't want to force quit the application in fear of losing the wallet. Will that damage the file?

Update: Issue has been solved. Force quitting the program didn't harm the wallet file, if anyone else has a similar problem and is looking for info. Not sure if I got lucky there or what though.

I'm using the OSX version of MultiBit, and the application is not responding. I don't want to force quit the application in fear of losing the wallet. Will that damage the file?

Update: Issue has been solved. For future reference: force quitting did not corrupt the wallet data, but I don't know if that was luck on my part of not.

I've got a brand new (still wrapped and sealed) copy of CoD4 that I'm looking to sell for BTC1 (that price includes shipping). I only ship to the lower 48 states. Willing to use an escrow. Reply here or PM me if you're interested.

sorry for go off topic (kinda) but I'm curious why you can only offer interest to non jewish people ?

I'm jewish.. which is why i am wondering...

“You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest. You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it." Deuteronomy 23:19-20

No interest to fellow Jewish people in Judaism.

I've posted this in the official Electrum thread, but I haven't gotten a response there. I'm posting it here in hopes that I can help the guy I did this sale with.

I purchased a gift card from kevwang95 for BTC1.5 to this payment address: http://blockchain.info/address/1LHmGT39uLJYSfeKVbgUP5vAgrhf1GaqMK

I sent the payment at 9:09PM EST. My wallet shows the transaction as completely confirmed. The blockchain currently has 15 confirmations for the payment. However, kevwang95 says that Electrum is not showing that the transaction has been received: his history has no transactions and his wallet balance is 0.

He sent me this screenshot of Electrum at about 11:30PM showing that the payment still hadn't shown up after nearly 2 1/2 hours. It looks to me like he sent me the right address, and it's the same address I linked above and sent payment to.

I'm thinking there is some sort of glitch in Electrum that's not showing his correct balance, but I don't have much experience with Electrum. He's new to BitCoin and I want to make sure he gets the payment for the sale. I would really appreciate it if someone could give him a hand in solving the issue by either posting here or PMing him directly. The payment is there in the address; he just can't access it.

Thanks to any help we can get with this!

EDIT: The issue has been solved. Thanks for the help!

[Meeting:]

I was writing this as a reply to someone else's topic and it got kind of lengthy, so I decided to make it into a topic instead.

The intention of this topic is to help new buyers and sellers in the BitCoin community who are looking to meet up and trade locally. I've done a lot of local trades and sales over the years, so I'm hoping that my experiences can help beginners by giving them ideas on how to trade safely. For this purpose I've separated my advice into three sections: meeting for trades, advice for buying, and advice for selling.

I've tried to format everything in a clear and concise manner to make this topic more readable. I'm open to suggestions for edits and additions to help make this guide as useful as possible.

Hope this guide helps anyone looking to start trading locally!

Note: Some names/locations I mention are US based, so I apologize if they're irrelevant for your location. The theories behind this topic should be fine regardless of country.



Meeting:
There are three main things I look for in meeting places:

• Public Location - Are there plenty of people around?
• WiFi Access - Is there free or cheap public WiFi access in the area?
• Security - Are there security cameras or security guards in the area?

Public Location:
Public locations are like Local Trading 101: it is always better to meet in a public place. Scammers and muggers are a lot less likely to try anything with witnesses around. You can usually find these people early on by simply requesting a public meeting place: they want to meet their victims alone.

WiFi:
Places like McDonalds, Starbucks, Barnes & Noble, and many local coffee shops offer free WiFi access. A lot of hotels offer WiFi as well, but usually not for free or to non-customers. Bring a laptop or tablet with you if you have one so you can check transaction details and confirmations. Depending on what you're buying/selling/trading, having a computer to do some last second research on item values can never hurt if you're worried about getting the short end of the stick.

Security:
A location with security cameras adds an extra layer of security to a trade. If the other party does get away with stealing from or scamming you, you'll have physical evidence in a recording that can help the authorities track the offender down and bring him to justice. Security guards can help set your mind at ease if you're concerned that you might get mugged: muggers are a lot less likely to rob you if there's a guard with a gun a few yards away. A guard can easily step in and save you if a mugger does start attacking you.

My personal recommendation would be to meet at a mall, if there's one in your area. Malls have tons of security measures to help protect you as you make your trade, and many malls have WiFi access across the entire property: there's a good chance that one of the mall's stores has WiFi access even if the mall itself doesn't. Banks are a good choice too: banks have great security, and some bigger banks have WiFi access as well.

Buying:
There are three things I want to cover about buying in-person:

• Reviewing Your Purchase
• Paying with BitCoin
• Paying with Cash

Reviewing Your Purchase:
For buying items, remember that there's a lot you can't tell about something just from pictures. Make sure to look the item over carefully and make sure everything is in working condition/described condition before you pay the seller. A seller who is unwilling or nervous about letting you check out an item may know something about the item he doesn't want you to find out. It's a good idea to meet during the day or in a well lit area so you can see everything clearly. Don't be afraid to ask questions if anything feels off and don't feel obligated to complete a sale you're uncomfortable with.

Paying with BitCoin:
One of the easiest ways to pay in BitCoin in person is with a mobile wallet app from a smartphone. Blockchain a mobile wallet app for Android and iOS. It's an online wallet, so I wouldn't recommend it for long-time storage: strictly transactions. Once I know how much I need to pay for an item I put that much in the wallet, and maybe 1 or 2 BTC more just in case there's a last second price change, and when I get home I immediately transfer any leftover funds to a more secure wallet. Blockchain works the same as any other client: enter the seller's payment address and the amount of BTC for the sale to send payment. Blockchain also has a QR scanner built in if the seller has a QR code address.

As a side note, I use an iPhone and Blockchain is, to my knowledge, the only wallet app for iOS without jailbreaking your phone. I have no knowledge about jailbreaking or Android apps for alternatives to Blockchain, but you can always do your research here on the forum or on the BitCoin wiki to find an app that works for you. You can also use your laptop, if you have it with you, to access your wallet and pay the seller. I recommend creating a brand new wallet for the transaction, especially if you're the paranoid type. Better safe than sorry, right?

Paying with Cash:
This section focuses on buying BitCoins. One of the more common OTC transactions is buying BitCoin with cash. If you're buying BTC, you need to give the seller a payment address to receive your funds. You can use your mobile wallet to receive the funds, which you can then transfer to a safer wallet when you get home, or you can write down or print out a wallet address for the seller to send the BTC to. If you do the latter method, make sure to confirm the transaction before you part ways: use a laptop to check your wallet and confirm the payment or have a trusted friend/family member monitor the wallet and contact you with confirmation of the funds.

Selling:
There are a few things to review for sellers:

• Terms of the Sale or Trade
• Accepting BitCoin Payment
• Accepting Cash Payment
• Other Forms of Payment

Terms of the Sale or Trade:
If you and the buyer have agreed to the terms of the trade ahead of time (as in what is being sold and for what price), I recommend printing out a copy of the agreement or correspondence (emails, forum posts, etc.). I've had experiences where the buyer tries to change the deal at the last minute or claims that I agreed to a lower price for the sale. Printing out what you offered and he accepted will back you up and help you get the price you asked for. You can also take a picture of these correspondences with your phone or digital camera if you don't have a printer, or use a laptop/tablet to bring them up if WiFi access is available.

Accepting BitCoin Payment:
Write down or print your payment address and bring it with you: I also recommend having a QR code address printed for buyers who use mobile wallets. Make sure you have a way to confirm payment before you part ways with the buyer. Use a laptop/tablet to check on the transaction for confirmations as well as affirming that the buyer paid the correct amount. You could also have a trusted friend/family member monitor your wallet and contact you with confirmation if WiFi is unavailable. Mobile app wallets may be able to confirm transactions on the spot, negating the need for WiFi access and a computer if you have a 3G/4G phone: the Blockchain app I mentioned can do this for you.

Accepting Cash Payment:
The main concern with cash payment is counterfeit bills. Most banks and retail locations keep special markers at the registers that can show if a bill is real or counterfeit. Here's an example on Amazon. These markers are a cheap investment if you're worried about receiving counterfeit money. I've also found them at office supply stores like Office Depot and Staples for around $5-$15. Keep one in your pocket and mark the bills before you finish the sale. Make sure you explain to the buyer what you're doing so they don't freak out on you: I've had that happen before.

Other Forms of Payment:
The are two things to remember about alternative forms of payment: one; try to agree with the buyer ahead of time about the use of non-cash/non-BTC payments, and two; do your research on the payment method to make sure you know what you're getting and how it works (and how easily, if possible, it can be forged or reversed). This forum is full of warnings about certain payment methods for good reason. BitCoin purchases seem to be the bigger targets for chargeback fraud, so keep yourself educated when you're selling BTC in person.

There is one final warning I would like to give in this section: do not accept personal checks. One of the first in-person sales I ever did was for a personal check ($450), and I'm sure you can guess how that went simply by the way I've brought it up. Another check sale a few months after that one was paid for with a stolen checkbook and I had police show up at my house asking about the sale so they could find the guy. If you absolutely must accept a sale by check, I would recommend completing the sale at a bank so you can cash the check on the spot.

Other Tips:
This section is for good advice submitted by other posters. Thanks for your contributions!

• Make sure to specify your expectations in advance. Confirm the time and place of meeting and make sure that both parties have everything on hand to complete the sale or trade. ~ Stephen Gornick
• Strength in numbers: bringing along a second person can be an excellent source of additional security and protection. ~ Vernon715

One of the arguments I've heard to disarm the deflationary nature of Bitcoins is that Bitcoins are divisible to eight places, resulting in 2,100,000,000,000,000 total BTC units in circulation. I read a recent topic on the forum about how Bitcoin prices could be posted in the future, as writing price tags for a price of "0.00000050" would be inefficient.

I'm thinking the easiest way to relate Bitcoin totals in the future will be to remove the decimal from the equation. The total units of BTC would remain the same and prices could be easily written and registered in the minds of consumers. Let's face it: the general population likes things simple, so simple steps such as this idea can go a long way towards improving user adoption by cleaning up confusing aspects of the currency.

Is this an idea that has already been put forth? I'm curious to know what everyone thinks about it, and whether or not the decimal should be removed in the future.

Closed.

I just want to make sure I don't break any rules. Are we allowed to bump our marketplace listings at all? Any restrictions to bumping if it is allowed?

Thanks!

[ITEM HAS BEEN SOLD]

I've got an original NES and a few games that I'm looking to sell (the good ol' fashioned grey brick one). It's been safely stored unused for quite a while now, so I figured I might as well give it a home where it'll get some use.

The NES has a replacement 72 pin, so it'll last for a good long time. It also has two NES controllers and the original Nintendo Zapper. The games that I'll include with it are:
Super Mario/Duck Hunt
The Legend of Zelda
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Metroid
Castlevania

All of the games, except for Castlevania, have been professionally cleaned and shouldn't have any problems. The battery in Legend of Zelda had to be replaced when I bought the game, so it will be able to save for another 10-25 years. Zelda II's battery was fine when I bought it, so I don't know how much longer it has before it will need to be replaced (the person I bought it from never said whether or not it had been replaced already).

I'll sell the NES and the games for 4.5 BTC + 1 BTC to cover the cost of shipping. I usually use Fed-Ex for my shipping since it tends to be a bit cheaper and a day faster. I will, of course, provide tracking information to the buyer.

PM me with any questions about the system, or if you wish to see any pictures.

EDIT: After looking in a different topic, I figured that it would be a good idea to add in that I'm willing to use a trusted escrow for this listing for anyone who wants an added layer of security.


ITEM HAS BEEN SOLD

I see a lot of people mention OTC when referring to someone selling an item for BitCoin. I know it's some sort of merchant rating system, but that's about it. Is it a website that gives the rating or something?

Sorry for having two subsequent topics, but this topic is entirely different from my other one.

I'm wondering if there are any BitCoin apps for non-jailbroken iPhones. I've only found one app for iPhone so far, and I'm fairly certain I would need to jailbreak my iPhone to use it (which I have no desire to do).

Any suggestions for a good QR code scanner for iPhone would be appreciated too.

Thanks!