Bitcoin doesn't solve the problem of fraud.  It just protects the gambling site.

What if someone's stolen wallet is used to make the deposit?

What if the money launderer chooses to buy bitcoins with their stolen money and then make the deposit in bitcoins?

That's funny.

AFAIK, none of the large poker sites take bitcoins now anyway.  Pokerstars certainly doesn't.  The method of payment doesn't change the fact that online non-play money poker is illegal to offer to USA citizens.

Pokerstars.net is a clever concept.  It's a free play site where it's impossible to use real money.  PS gets to advertise its wares while remaining 100% legal in the USA.  The fact that the other version of Pokerstars shares the same base name is sheer coincidence 

It sounds like you're speaking to the right people.  My friends are engineers, teachers, retail workers, etc.  It's nigh on impossible to explain bitcoin without sounding like a religious preacher or conspiracy nut.

Didn't talk about bitcoins with anyone at parties.  It's a really complex topic to convey in a social setting while:

A) Trying to keep the conversation interesting
B) Explaining what is a complex concept for most people
C) Not making it sound like a money making scam

There's a recent history of someone (or more likely, some bot) getting rather sell-happy and dumping the price by 10% instantly.  It seems to me the more logical way to sell a large amount is in small amounts over time, rather than dumping the price instantly.  

I have gone long on bitcoin.  In the very recent past (no, not $4.50+).  Which means, bitcoin is doomed and about to crash.  Everything I buy ends up going the other way in price.  I surely have the death touch when it comes to investing.  Beware.

 

The great thing about high frequency bitcoin trading is that MtGox offers an ideal playground for ideas to be tried and trading strategies tested.  See how the market reacts without losing significant amount of money in a market where there are very few rules and no enforcement.  It's great, for the person playing with their micro trading bit.

You do?  Great.  Where is the price heading to from here so I can place my bets?

The casino always wins.  It's an unregulated market in the financial equivalent of the Wild West.

Downer?  More like accurate.  I don't control the market.

What will happen first?  Under 4, for sure.  Over 5?  Maybe after the dive.  Hitting 6?  Not with the big trader's bag of tricks.

I hope everyone enjoyed the rally.  It was fun.  And profitable.

This will be fun to watch.

Maybe North Korea is just leading the world in super efficient lighting and energy conservation, by switching off all power 

People are scrambling across the borders into North Korea to live in Kim Jong Ung's glorious worker's paradise!

There's a very good reason for that: the properties have property tax arrears that the new owner must pay.  The house will still be valued at somewhere near its original value, not sub $2k, so the property taxes are going to be hefty.  The house has probably been stripped of all materials, used as a crack house and located in a neighbourhood where people are afraid to walk the streets during the day.

Some enterprising Americans are advertising these 'screaming bargains' to naive Australian property investors as a fantastic buying opportunity.  There's a sucker born every minute, and plenty are being hatched right now in Australia.

Oh don't worry, the cult of personality will ensure he lives on for a very very long time.

The rocket is secretly taking off?  I didn't know Pyongyang's news department was reporting on bitcoin.

Why add another layer of fees and charges into the mix?  Why not go cash->gold instead of cash->btc->gold?  There are fees at every stage and you're adding more.

Just grab the cash and go to your local gold bullion dealer.  Support a local business.  You can speculate on bitcoin's price without buying gold.