Awesome, Nejc, thanks for your answer. 

As far as the offline wallet, is that connected to the network or does it have an air gap?   Armory has a method specifically built to allow the cold storage system to be air gapped:
 - http://bitcoinarmory.com/index.php/using-offline-wallets-in-armory

That's the thing about a pseudonymous digital currency that is still a nascent technology, ... no data, except perhaps anecdotal.


Perhaps this will be of a little assistance:

 - http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=88927.0 (Completed survey)
 - http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=85967.0 (Planning and data collection)

If you'ld like to know other options, the factors that matter in order to give you the best answer include:

 - Where are you located (country)?
 - How much are you looking to buy?
 - What payment methods do you have available?
 - How soon do you need access to the proceeds?
 - Is privacy important?


Quite simply, depositing cash at a bank or 7-11, Walmart, CVS is going to be the fastest and easiest way.

 - http://www.BitInstant.com (Deposit at major banks, 7-11, Walmart, CVS, Moneygram, etc., or in Brazil using Boleto or Banco Recomendito, or in Russia, using Qiwi or Cyberplat.)
 - http://www.CAVirtEx.com (Deposit cash at several banks)
 - http://www.Spendbitcoins.com (Deposit cash at a bank in Australia)
 - http://www.MrBitcoins.com (Deposit at a bank in U.S., India, Australia)
 - http://BitcoinNordic.com (Purchase CashU or UKash in dozens of countries)
 - http://www.BTC-E.com (Deposit cash (USD) at bank locations in Russia)


The fees aren't trivial but you can use a credit card to purchase by using VirWoX where you can buy SLL using your Serve card as a credit card, then trade SLL for BTC:
 - http://www.VirWoX.com

This probably does't help you if you are looking to spend the coins anytime soon, but you can buy physical Bitcoin, paid for with credit card:
 - http://memorydealers.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=bitcoin


Or find a local trade:
 - http://www.localbitcoins.com


All kinds of options:
- http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Buying_bitcoins

Another criteria might be if the escrowed funds will be held in full, without being lent out.
Also there's no protection from the "oops I got hacked" out.   I'm not sure what that might be ... perhaps promising to hold the funds are held in an offline, cold storage wallet?  (using Armory to create the spend transaction from the online node, thus no electronic hack is possible.)

What are the details of this?



 - https://twitter.com/BitcoinConf2012/status/245462853975412736

There was a request in another thread asking that a warning be placed here, as there is the assertion of identity theft by the OP here.  I don't know either way, just placing the link to the claim here:

 - http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=108736.0

Incidentally, trading over-the-counter involves risks.  The #bitcoin-otc helps lessen counterparty risk through its Web of Trust (WoT) and authorization mechanism (GPG-based authorization).

Presuming you are looking to trade bitcoins for them, there are multiple methods to do that, including conversion at AurumXChange.  I saw that BTC-E used to but their account still shows: "temporarily unavailable (the account has been blocked, under verification)".

 - http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Selling_bitcoins

As far as capitalization:


As far as the symbol, I'm not sure. I've seen  10 USDs and 10 USD both used.  I'm sure the journalist style book has the proper use.  

Now instead if we just used Ƀ10 instead. it wouldn't matter.

Universal Bitcoin Logo Alternative
 - http://www.ecogex.com/bitcoin/

You will need to have your account verified at Mt. Gox before those funds from a Dwolla transfer will be credited to your Mt. Gox account.  But once that is true, the transfer is pretty quick (minutes to hours).



There are individuals who will trade with you.  The frequent traders get flagged as high risk, just like a bitcoin exchange, but those who do Dwolla transfers infrequently with others can trade with you.  Some of them monitor this thread, specifically for announcing funds available for transfer:

 - http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=78512.0

Otherwise, now that the clock is ticking you can send those funds back to your bank if you didn't want them tied up at Dwolla until your 30-day probationary period is up.

Those deposits also are at risk of an e-Gold scenario:


 - http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2007/April/07_crm_301.html

About the only reason to store bitcoins with an exchange is if you have open orders with the exchange or plan to use those coins in trading.

One reason people like to have coins already deposited is so that if there is a development, trading can commence immediately without having to wait for six confirmations. 

Fortunately there is a service to help cut that time down.  SMPAKE.com

 - http://smpake.com   <--    Funds credited to your Mt. Gox account in 1 confirmation (verified account) or 2 confirmations (non-verified/pseudonymous account at Mt. Gox).

 - http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Why_a_GPU_mines_faster_than_a_CPU#Why_are_AMD_GPUs_faster_than_Nvidia_GPUs.3F

Done.

 - http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/BuyBTC.cz

The Blackjack is a little awkward to use from my Android, but definitely playable.

On a tablet (iPad or other), it works pretty slick.    So much for catching up on e-mails on the next flight, for example.

Well since nobody knows in advance which way the exchange rate will move, nobody can promise the full return if the rate goes up but no loss if the price declines.



There are ways to protect against a declining exchange rate.  There is a premium you pay for that and there is a significant penalty for early withdrawal.  Not only that, there is some exposure to counterparty risk.

One method of providing a "bank account insured with USDs" is to write CALL optioins or buy PUT options, such as those from MPEx.

 - https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/MPEx
 - http://polimedia.us/bitcoin/mpex.php

But "banking" is something people are looking to earn from, not pay a fee for thus the premiums for these protections are prohibitive for "banking".  If you want insured USDs, trade your coins at an exchange and do an ACH to a bank.  That's the path from BTC to insured USDs.

There has been discussion on ways to more easily hold USDs after converting from BTCs:


Any interest in an offshore bank which accepts & exchanges Bitcoins?
 - http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=102996.0

A "Bitcoin Dollarization" Exchange?
 - http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=104171.0

Kind of related:

Any interest in an offshore bank which accepts & exchanges Bitcoins?
 - http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=102996.0

Kind of related:

A "Bitcoin Dollarization" Exchange?
 -  http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=104171.0

A pseudonymous digital currency certainly changes things doesn't it?  This is also being discussed in another thread.  Here's a excerpt:



With most traditional non-cash payment systems, we don't need a receipt in many instances because the payment system holds identity.  When I send a check for a car payment to the bank, I don't need a receipt, If there is a dispute then if that check was cashed that's my proof of payment.

For relatively insignificant amounts of money for transactions both cash and pseudonymous digital currency seem to work just fine the way they are currently used.   If I give you cash and you don't give me my donut, chances are right there and then I'll be getting my cash back -- though it may involve me making a stink in public about it.  


With Bitcoin, there doesn't even need to be an action post-payment.  Here's why:



Gavin's addresses how in the future Bitcoin might address this:

If you weren't aware, Mercabit.eu (by paraipan) does that:

 - http://mercabit.eu/

Do you have a Barclay's location near?  With Mt. Gox you can deposit cash at Barclays for credit to your Mt. Gox account.  A 1.5% fee applies.  You don't need to register anything other than an e-mail address with Mt. Gox (though they may grief you if you use Tor to access your account).

 - https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/MtGox#UK_.28GBP.29

There is a site called London Bitcoin Exchange, though there is not much about them yet so if you do trade, perhaps use an escrow.
 - http://londonbitcoinexchange.wordpress.com/

You can send cash (GBP) or check to Bitcoin Nordic, by mail, to purchase bitcoins:
 - http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Bitcoin_Nordic

You might find a local trader (or place an buy order and see if anyone is selling):
 - http://www.LocalBitcoins.com

There are a number of methods:

 - http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Buying_bitcoins

You are probably too far away but you would find someone willing to trade at the London Bitcoin Conference:
 - http://www.bitcoin2012.com
 - http://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=67199.0

Ha, I have only questions.

Well, actually I have scenarios and have no solution to offer.

Take the current lawsuit against Bitcoinica.  How do the plaintiffs prove they sent even a single satoshi to Bitcoinica?  

The areas where a payment protocol might be used theoretically applies to nearly every transaction but practically that need doesn't arise very often.  It definitely isn't needed for buying a donut:
 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X53ksjejmns

I probably don't need a digitally signed payment request from Amazon because if their payment page didn't acknowledged my payment my next action is to contact their support.  If their system is compromised where I get a fake payment acknowledgement they'll know about the problem long before I notice that nothing showed at my door.

But for transactions where where there is a time component, such as where the payment creates or extinguishes a debt, that's where in practice this protocol becomes more needed.  

If I send payment to be applied to my credit card balance, I want to be able to prove they got the payment.  That's when I'm going to want them to give me a signed message that not only says what Bitcoin address to send my payment to but the account number that the payment will be applied to as well.

With the blockchain providing the proof that payment was made, this signed payment request from before I pay is all I need then to later prove that I made the payment.


From a cursory look into e-signatures it took just minutes to conclude one thing ... what a mess!  So even though you and I know that nobody other than the holder of the private key for a Bitcoin address could have produced a signed message, would having that even help the plaintiffs one iota in a lawsuit such as the one referenced above?

There are standards for e-signing that are enforceable but these standards aren't universal around the world, and they can vary state-to-state in the U.S. even.   So it is possible that even if Bitcoin supported this protocol, those needing e-signature would probably implement it outside of Bitcoin in the manner needed for the relevant jurisdiction(s).

That being said, if there were a protocol built in and it were to become generally adopted, it would probably find itself becoming a legally recognized method shorly after as well.