Anyone else having trouble purchasing with Bitcoin today? I tried paying with Bitcoin on NewEgg.com and it was still listed as a payment option, but not eligible to click (greyed out), and Purse.io could not find any links that I uploaded.

Not sure where to put this, but I just want to thank each and every one of you on this discussion board. You are all vested enough in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency to spend time learning, teaching, arguing and agreeing about the many facets of this fascinating technology. We are creating the roadmap to a future that could not be fathomed ten years ago. This is happening and we need every brain we can get involved.

There have been some headlines circulating that indicate a Japanese district court ruled that Bitcoin cannot be owned. It surprises me that there is not more discussion on this subject here. This has implications that reach beyond Bitcoin and cryptocurrency, but certainly has a direct impact.

1) Can anyone provide a source for this ruling beyond the news website headlines?

2) I'm not an attorney, but it sounds like the argument is that Bitcoin is being considered "open access property" based on the Wiki definition: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Property_rights_%28economics%29.

3) The idea of "ownership" and "access" is important in that the rules of engagement are being established by society; whether that society is the smaller Bitcoin/cryptocurrency circle, or the larger world population, or something in between.


One of the articles for reference:
http://www.engadget.com/2015/08/06/japanese-court-bitcoin-ownership-ruling/

Saw this the other day and thought I'd post here. I think the BTC crowd will appreciate this:

https://www.crowdsupply.com/purism/librem-laptop

Recently saw that a "reputation" company being launched. Would love to see something like this build upon the Blockchain, but any kind of peer to peer ratings system is a perfect compliment to crypto. No more "BIG 3" ratings that were so caught up in rating consumers ineffectively that they completely missed the huge risks at the top of the lending chain.


http://www.coindesk.com/bonafide-raises-850k-build-reputation-system-bitcoin/

Would be great to see a few more of these reputation companies come on board.

Keep on rocking guys! Great job!

Hey guys, just came across this and thought it would be good to support these Etsy artists. If you're buying a gift, and want something unique, Etsy is a great place and it looks like there is a group that has formed around Etsy. Note: I've not verified any of this and just tried to make a purchase that landed on a Bitpay error page - so if anyone can verify, please do.

https://www.etsy.com/teams/10366/bitcoin

It's one thing to ask for a fingerprint and another to ask your preferences. One can be traced to your actions, the other gets inside your motives. These questions are getting too personal.

See image here:
http://postimg.org/image/4fzulx071/

Here's the announcement on their site:
http://blog.kraken.com/post/103599171158/mt-gox-bankruptcy

If this turns out to be true, it looks positive. At least were moving...

http://rt.com/news/207999-blockupy-clashes-frankfurt-police/

This Wednesday, November 26 is the next "Creditors" meeting, and still, no addresses or transaction information is exposed. This is information that can be released to the public, but hasn't. Why?

If 650,00 to 850,000 Bitcoin were actually stolen or seized, more than 5% of the entire Bitcoin economy resides in the hands of a small group of thieves. And thieves they are, whether they are hackers, exchange employees, banksters or government/court officials.

While there is no replacement for individual responsibility; a peaceful society cannot exist if it allows a handful of people to withhold information that could lead to the discovery of a potential hijacking of world finance and politics.

Where are the voices?

Feb 28: Mark Karpeles, head of the MtGox operation was the first to stop talking about MtGox after the company was either put into or opted for bankruptcy protection.

May 1: Kolin Burges and MtGoxProtest: http://www.mtgoxprotest.com/?p=378,  https://twitter.com/The_K_meister

May 8: Sunlot Group wraps up class action lawsuit in the United States with behind the scenes settlement: http://www.savegox.com/?p=130.

May 25: Willy Report by willyreport: http://willyreport.wordpress.com/2014/05/, http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/26g46e/the_willy_report_proof_of_massive_fraudulent/

Mar 20: Erik Rodenbach, Mary Becica, and Kai Chang and the Stamen Group: http://bitcoin.stamen.com/

May 25: Olivier Janssens and the MtGox Recovery Effort: http://www.mtgoxrecovery.com/, http://blog.mtgoxrecovery.com/, https://twitter.com/mtgoxrecovery

June: MtGoxLeaker and a very organized effort on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/mtgoxaddresses/wiki/analysis

June: Weili Huang and Petition to Nobuaki Kobayashi:  https://www.change.org/p/nobuaki-kobayashi-allow-us-creditors-bitcoin-community-members-to-join-the-mtgox-investigation, http://www.reddit.com/r/mtgoxinsolvency/comments/276wcc/an_open_letter_to_mr_nobuaki_kobayashi/

June 29: Dr. Amit Steinhart and the Corporate Competitive Intelligence MtGox Investigation Effort: http://www.mtgoxinvestigation.com/index.html

Sept 12: Professor Karl-Friedrich Lenz: http://k.lenz.name/LB/?p=10916

A couple efforts that are still alive:

MtGox.gr, MtGox creditors: http://www.mtgox.gr/blog-news

MtGox Creditors: http://mtgoxcreditors.org/

Oliver and Gox-Self-Help https://www.olivere.de/mailman/listinfo/gox-self-help

And then there is the Grand Master:

Nov 26: We should be hearing again from Nobuaki Kobayashi. This date is on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, so any outcome will easily be lost in United States news. Hopefully Mr. Kobayashi will present the blockchain data for MtGox addresses before, after, and during the supposed heist.


If you feel so inclined, join the noise: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=628191.0.

You have a captive one-person (or more) audience to discuss Bitcoin.

Consider tipping in Bitcoin to get them started.

Lot's of talking happens at barber shops and hair dressers.

If you think the price of Bitcoin is dropping, you are taking the wrong measurement.

Is TOR network truly private?

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2456700/black-hat-presentation-on-tor-suddenly-cancelled.html

https://www.blackhat.com/latestintel/07212014-a-schedule-update.html

Can privacy really exist on the Internet? Anywhere? Doesn't every single electron pass through multiple servers, any one of which could be reading for bad intent?

Where is/was the creditor meeting?

What time?

And if it's over, who was there and what happened?

Looks like a smart move by the Japanse Government:

"Japan should become the world's easiest place to run Bitcoin businesses and for this reason we must avoid tying down the industry with regulation,"

Source:
http://online.wsj.com/articles/japan-ruling-party-to-hold-off-regulating-bitcoin-1403175537



No need for new / additional regulation. For those that were Goxxed, more regulation will not help. Only thorough research and forceful implementation of law that has existed for a very long time.  (THOU SHALL NOT STEAL)

Go JAPAN!

Does anyone know if PlutoPete won his case to reclaim his Bitcoin from the FBI? It looks pretty clear to me that he and anyone else that had not broken the law should have had their Bitcoin returned before this sale.

Sale:
http://www.usmarshals.gov/assets/2014/bitcoins/

PlutoPete Story:
http://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/news/peter-ward-aka-plutopete-trying-to-legally-reclaim-bitcoins-from-fbi-silk-road-seizure/2014/01/31

Bitcoin Talk Thread:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=443025.0

PlutoPete, if you're out there, please PM me.


This is an important case to watch because essentially it is a question of how far can the FBI reach to enforce a local law.

Just found this little gem while strolling the boards:

Gox has only one market for all currencies.  The bids/asks in any given currency are converted to show in all other currencies, with a exchange fee built in.  The fee does not go to Gox, since they ironically are not licensed to exchange between various fiat currencies. Instead the fee goes to their bank, which does the actual fiat exchange.

The upshot is that if you place a bid in USD it shows up in Pounds, Euros, Baht, whatever else as well.

Source: MagicalTux in irc a few weeks ago.

If MtGox's bank acquired a fee from every currency exchange, the bank would certainly be "in the know" of a lot of information.

Well, I made some calls to Japan today, fully expecting the people on the other end to have heard the name MtGox. I was surprised to find that the people answering the phone had not really heard much about the MtGox debacle. Even the US Embassy in Japan, where I imagine there are no more than 50 or so people working, they hadn't heard of MtGox. So, I realized that many people have spent loads of time on this board, but haven't taken 5 minutes to call a Japanese phone number.

If you want to be heard, you need to speak up. Just remember, the difference between MtGox and Bitcoin when making your calls. We don't need to damage Bitcoin and crypto currency any further than it already has been. We can do our best to flush out the waste though...feel free to make some noise. Maybe one call or one email a day.

http://japan.usembassy.gov/

http://www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/english/html/

http://www.fbi.gov/report-threats-and-crime

http://www.stopfraud.gov/report.html#bankruptcy

http://www.fraudaid.com/solution_center/jurisdictions/overseas%20and%20intl.htm

http://www.actionfraud.police.uk/japanese

http://japancompanytrust.org/fraud/

http://www.japan-partner.com/internet-fraud-watch.php

http://www.npa.go.jp/sosikihanzai/jafic/index_e.htm

And apply some political pressure:
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm - Your senetor

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/ - Your congressman

http://www.contactingthecongress.org/



And for further reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_enforcement_in_Japan

[EDIT: This is more of an editorial, and not written by me. I just find the 545 people running 300 million interesting and hopefully thought provoking for the Bitcoin community.]

I just remembered an email forward that I received several years ago. If you've seen this already, please disregard, but I find it an interesting thought. Now, to be fair, I can't imagine the daunting task running the country must be, and I am sure most politicians at least start out with good intent.

EDIT: This is more of an editorial, and not written by me. I just find the 545 people running 300 million interesting and hopefully thought provoking for the Bitcoin community.


And the forward begins >>>>>



A very interesting column. COMPLETELY NEUTRAL
Be sure to Read the Poem at the end.

Charley Reese's final column for the Orlando Sentinel.

He has been a journalist for 49 years.

He is retiring and this is HIS LAST COLUMN.

Be sure to read the Tax List at the end.

This is about as clear and easy to understand as it can be. The article below is completely neutral, neither anti-republican or democrat. Charlie Reese, a retired reporter for the Orlando Sentinel, has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day. It's a short but good read. Worth the time. Worth remembering!

545 vs. 300,000,000 People

- By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.

Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?

Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes?

You and I don't propose a federal budget. The President does.

You and I don't have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does.

You and I don't write the tax code, Congress does.

You and I don't set fiscal policy, Congress does.

You and I don't control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does.

One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 545 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country.

I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but private, central bank.

I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton-picking thing. I don't care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator's responsibility to determine how he votes.

Those 545 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party.

What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating deficits. The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it.

The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. Who is the speaker of the House? John Boehner. He is the leader of the majority party. He and fellow House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to.

It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 545 people who stand convicted -- by present facts -- of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can't think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 545 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 545 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist.

If the tax code is unfair, it's because they want it unfair.

If the budget is in the red, it's because they want it in the red.

If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it's because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan.

If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it's because they want it that way.

There are no insoluble government problems.

Do not let these 545 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like "the economy","inflation," or "politics" that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do.

Those 545 people, and they alone, are responsible.

They, and they alone, have the power.

They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses.

Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees.

We should vote all of them out of office and clean up their mess.

Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper.

End of Reese article.


What you do with this article now that you have read it is up to you. This might be funny if it weren't so true. Be sure to read all the way to the end:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for
peanuts anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.

Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid...

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone State and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax


STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY?
Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

What in the heck happened? Can you spell 'politicians?'

I hope this goes around THE USA at least 545 times!

[Proposal for MtGox Depositors and the General Bitcoin Community.]

Proposal for MtGox Depositors and the General Bitcoin Community.

<Thoughts and edits are very welcome. This is a very rough plan.>

First, the community must understand MtGox’s status in as much detail as possible. Full public disclosure and audit of the MtGox books, including assets, liabilities, fiat and Bitcoin in, fiat and Bitcoin out, and of course deposits must be provided. Without such an audit, there are just too many assumptions at play. As of right now, the fact that any Bitcoin is actually missing, or that the sum of MtGox deposits exceed 200k Bitcoin are assumptions, albeit very likely.

Until such public record is made, no company should have the opportunity to buy the exchange. There is one exception: that is if a condition of sale requires the new owner to return 100% of the assets (fiat and Bitcoin) to their rightful Depositors. This means Depositors with Bitcoin get Bitcoin back, and Depositors of fiat get fiat back – the full amount. This is a possible scenario if a buyer deems the exchange worth USD $1 Billion or something like that.

Now, for the sake of this discussion, let’s assume that we don’t have a buyer that is willing to reimburse Depositors (and secondary Creditors), and that the Bitcoin Deposit Assets to Bitcoin Deposit Liabilities Ratio is 200k : 750k. Mark’s Bitcoin and MtGox’s Bitcoin are surrendered for the purposes of returning Depositor claims. Also, that the actual company assets and liabilities (not to be confused with Depositor Deposits) do not exceed more than $1 million either direction.

With that said, here is a possible solution:

1)   New Exchange. First establish and entity for the purposes of purchasing MtGox and creating and managing a New Exchange. As a condition of sale the New Exchange will be required to put 100% of the recovered Bitcoin (200k) and fiat currency into a custodial account to be held for later distribution, and that the distribution is proportionate to old MtGox Depositors. We need Depositors satisfied that this deal is no worse than liquidation.

2)   Lost Bitcoin Claims. As a second condition of sale, for the remaining Lost Bitcoin (550k), Depositors in this situation will maintain a proportional claim to the Lost Bitcoin. If and when more Bitcoins are found or otherwise recovered, the Bitcoin will again be distributed proportionately to those holding such claims. These Lost Bitcoin Claims are transferrable and may be sold. These Lost Bitcoin Claims will also represent an ownership stake in the New Exchange as seen in the next section. Those holding the rights to the Lost Bitcoin Claims will be called Lost Bitcoin Claimants at this point.

3)   Claims vs. Cash. It has been suggested that old Depositors should have Lost Bitcoin Claims converted into ownership in a New Exchange, but thus far offers presented by entities willing to risk new cash have not been well received by nervous Depositors burned by MtGox. On the other hand the MtGox bankruptcy situation has attracted cash investors and such a party (or parties) will be critical to the revival of the New Exchange. Without a cash injection, the attempt to re-launch the exchange would be a failed attempt. Investors (Bitcoin, fiat, or otherwise) must also feel that they are getting a good return on their investment.

4)   Ownership Split. Under this plan, the proposed ownership split would be determined by the value of the Rights to the Lost Bitcoin relative to the Market Value of the New Exchange. For example, if the Lost Bitcoin is valued at USD $550k ($1 per Lost Bitcoin Claim), and the overall company is valued at $10 million, then the Lost Bitcoin Claims would gain 5.5% control of the company ($550,000 / $10 million). Looks grim, but remember, this is what the market thinks the claim is worth. On the flip side a Lost Bitcoin Claim may be valued at $1000 (For some reason real Bitcoin jumps to $1500), and the company appears to be worth $1 Billion, then Lost Bitcoin Claimants gain 55% control.  As a last scenario, maybe Lost Bitcoin Claims become worth $100 each (25% chance of being found or 25% of lost coins expected to be found) and the company is still only worth $10 million (or 1 Bitcoin). If this becomes the case, then there is no need for a Cash Investor. The market is saying that the Lost Bitcoin Claimants will retain 100% control of their Lost Bitcoin and that this is worth more than the proposed new entity.

It should be noted that a prospective cash investor may allow the liquidation process to occur and attempt to acquire assets at that time. This plan may allow for Depositors to be represented at Liquidation proceedings to ensure they are compensated to the full market potential. Another thought to consider under this plan is that a Cash Investor can purchase Lost Bitcoin Claims from those willing to sell, either as individuals or as an entity attempting to purchase old MtGox assets and reduce as many liabilities as possible. In this later scenario, a Cash Investor Entity can take ownership of purchased Lost Bitcoin Claims, effectively increasing its overall percentage share of the company, possibly exceeding 50%. This should be okay, because Lost Bitcoin Claimants that want to hold out are free to do so and still maintain a percentage of the new company.

5)   Valuation of Lost Bitcoin Claims. So how do we value to Lost Bitcoin Claims? By establishing an auction. The auction should last at least a week to give everyone worldwide the opportunity to participate.

6)   Company Valuation. Because this is after the public audit, or at least after we have a good sense for the assets and liabilities at stake, the valuation will be much more reasonable than figures thrown out today. However, there are some that claim it has zero to negative value and others that are seeing a fortune at stake. Rather than speculate, let’s again let the market decide. Like the Lost Bitcoin Claims, this will be done by auction. However, value must be place on non-tangible items such as bringing in the retired director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigations, or an already established Exchange. These have value on top of the cash value. Under this proposal, the Lost Bitcoin Claimants should have the right to “add value” to any of the Cash Investing candidates by either voting on the non-tangibles, or actually transferring Lost Bitcoin Claims to any of the Cash Investing Candidates. We may be splitting hairs here, so for the purpose of this proposal, we will opt for the right of Bitcoin Claimants to transfer Claims to Investors as it is easiest to manage.

7)   Launch. Upon launch of the New Exchange, all old Depositors will be able to log into their accounts and find their Bitcoin and fiat cash balances. They can begin the process of withdrawing their balance immediately.

   Unclaimed Balances. Unclaimed balances are subject to local country laws. However, as a 3 condition of sale, and where possible, should they exist for one year or longer, the unclaimed balance should be treated as “found” Bitcoin and distributed to Lost Bitcoin Claimants per Section 2.

9)   Regulations. There are regulations in various countries that may limit the flexibility to run this plan as proposed. However, under this plan we first acknowledge that like Bitcoin is changing the world, we can improve the way corporations come into existence and operate throughout the world. As such, we petition all courts involved, Japanese, US, and everywhere else, and ask that we self regulate. If we cannot get the court (especially Japanese Court) to agree, which is the most likely scenario, then we move on to Section 10.

10)   Home Country. Carefully consider the home country of the New Exchange. Japanese courts may require that the assets stay in Japan, however other options include the United States, where most current users of Bitcoin reside (http://www.bitcoincharts.com/charts/volumepie/), Denmark where Bitcoin is going unregulated, Germany where it is becoming accepted, United Arab Emirates where new world finance is trending, or any number of other great countries where free markets rule: http://www.forbes.com/best-countries-for-business/list/. Set up shop in the selected country.

11)   Action. To make all of this happen will cost money. How much, is not known, but it shouldn’t exceed USD $1 million and likely can be done for under $100k and a few smart volunteers. If each Depositor kicks in USD $1 to $2 per Bitcoin lost, this should be enough, but may not even be necessary. On the volunteer side, to begin, we need a Japanese attorney fluent in English, Japanese and corporate bankruptcy. It would be good if they practice patent law as well, as some proof of technical prowess. Secondly, we need Blockchain and financial auditors. More will need to follow.

12)   Donations. Donations can be made to a public wallet that is protected by someone that can be TRUSTED. (Like it or not, we need trust to do business.) I will not create or manage such a wallet and I ask that you do not send donations to me for this purpose.





PS> For shits and giggles, is there anyone out there that can write the code for this new business? I’d love to see this be the first corporation managed by the Bitcoin platform. Ethereum?