Japan, UK, Australia, Canada, Swiss, South Korea and good old USA.  The USA prob has the most Bitcoin holders.  It has the most blockchain startups, and home to many crypto currency.  The USA has been at the forefront and will continue to be leaders in this space. 

I believe you need to stand up for yourself against bullies.  They will continue to bully you if you don’t say something.  That is how they like to operate, by picking on people that show no resistance.  Once you let them know that you will stand up for yourself, they will stop.  They will move on to easier targets. 

I think Bitcoin and it’s underlying technology of blockchain decentralized and distributed ledger will usher in another age of innovations.  Many large corporations are already starting to take notice to see how it can help their companies grow.  

Anything is possible.  Being the first to market doesn’t necessary mean it will stay that way forever.  Right now it looks like Ethereum has lots potential.  But who knows, maybe down the road something else will take the lead. 

The conventional wisdom is you should not leave your coins in online wallets like Coinbase because they ultimately own your private keys.  They are an exchange so money should only be kept there when you are ready to do some trading.  You can move your coins to a desktop wallet like Electrum or hardware wallet like Trezor or Ledger.  With those wallets, you control the private keys. 

I would say humor and money.  A good smile goes a long way too.

I love mobsters movies.  My all time favorites are The Godfather’s I and II movies.  I’m a sucker for them every time they are showing on tv. 

Yes I do.  We can’t be the only living species in the universe.  It will be interesting when we encounter aliens. 

Some of my friends are vaping to satisfy their smoking habits.  Vaping seems to work. 

Here is the stickied Forum posting rules.  https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1689727.0

Yes I do feel like the college degree gives you more opportunities and provides a solid foundation for your life long pursuit of knowledge.  Continued thirst for knowledge is a key to success in life.  You should never stop learning. 

This deserves a bump!  Thanks for sharing. :

Cool thread!

Newbie question:  What is the preferred exchange right now to buy/sell crypto currencies?  I’m looking for most secure and lowest fees.  Example, I want to buy Ripple.  Thank you. 

I am guessing it’s to guard against spammers?  I think it’s a good rule here.  Some forums I have been to, spammers can post junk pretty quickly. 

Here is a great introduction to wallets https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=1631151.0;all.  Use wallets for different purposes.  Online wallets for fast trading, software/desktop wallets are like your checking accounts, and hardware wallets are similar to your savings accounts. 

Electrum seems to be the most popular lightweight desktop wallet right now.  Bitcoin Core is you want a full node.  Many thanks to this forum.

Big news that a Peter Thiel invested.  He is very influential person.  Hopefully more like him will follow.  Warren finally came around to investing in Apple and I’m sure he is happy now.