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Thanks, TPTB for the explanation.
Still, there ARE ways for a clever community to find ways of protecting their personal info. Maybe Apple indeed has constructed their OS so that there is nothing that can really prevent the phone from having its password hacked (etc.), which would then allow unimpeded access to phone call records (etc.) to LE.
Based on the extremely limited contacts I have w/ cryptographers (and limited reading), it is my opinion that a large group of concerned folks like us can make it VERY HARD for LE to get some information, even on cellphones. (Not including phone call info of course)
What a pity that cryptography is still so difficult to use "for the masses". I cannot even find friends to use PGP with by email, and my friends are likely pretty well educated Americans vs. the average. Though most are sheep.......
Baa-aah! Baaah! Baaa-aa-aaah!
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I Dont have cash for emergency cause it can be stolen and used
without any safety net.
I have a credit card I only use for emergency and if it was stolen I would
get my money back etc..
lol you might be missing the point a bit. People here are talking about an emergency the size of Texas. Armageddon. Your puny credit card will do nothing. Obviously we are talking about different kinds of emergencies as well. A "Katrina" type event will mean that credit cards cannot be used in such an event, at least in places with The Grid down. There are other kinds of emergencies that can be imagined...: 1) A financial collapse that leaves .gov and The Grid still up. 1a) .gov decides to get Big & Bad and seize stuff. Credit cards might then not work, nor ATMs, but CA$H would (for a while). 1b) TIME becomes a factor, the authorities might BAN taking capital (gold) out of the USA... 2) The grid goes down... 2a) CA$H might work for a short while (so BUY supplies!), credit cards & BTC would not. Then you are looking at water, Au & Ag, and ammo. 2b) If it is "the size of TX or larger" then water & food production becomes important. The Pharmacist might want to stock up on drugs! 3) Hillary becomes president and imposes a dictatorship. Your BTC might become VERY valuable then as you can take BTC out easily...  My point being that a DIVERSITY of holdings is probably best as we do not have any idea of what could happen. |
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... Understanding Armstrong is indeed NOT a trivial process, DigiLab. * * * Switching ideas for a moment, a reader of Armstrong just asked if terrorist strikes come in waves: https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/world-news/is-there-a-frequency-to-terrorism/Armstrong essentially says "yes" in that there is some cyclicality, but of course not exactly nor where the terrs would strike. Some time cyclicality might be expected as after a bombing (etc.), a cell would need some time and resources before striking again. I wonder if Armstrong might look harder into this topic? |
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Edging into a new topic for the moment, I read recently that one way PEOPLE may get to be better able to secure their iPhones (and others) would be for someone to write cunning little apps to do that. I can think of one or two possibilities already (one would be to mimic the iPhone being off and then require a new password, perhaps another to hide info that a user would want hidden if an FBI were to break into the phone, I am sure other ideas would come along...).
Perhaps the apps writers would have to be outside the USA. And I suppose Apple might have its own requirements (burdens) on such apps to make them accessible to AAPL itself or the FBI/NSA.
What's say TPTB? That might be a fairly quick way to make a buck...
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Let gold do what it has been doing for over several years since 2008; down.
Actually, the price of gold is well above 2008 and 2009 prices... Yes, the gold price is well below its 2011/2012 highs. And of course gold today (23 March) went down $27 or so. But, the day-to-day movement are not what interests me, I am trying to look at longer time periods. |
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I live in Argentina and I find it very difficult to find brickand motor locations that accept bitcoins. There is ONE web site and there is rampant confiscation of things by customs. So bitcoins are a long term investment here ONLY. Whenever I ask whether a shop accepts bitcoin they either say noor they still don't know what it is.
sdp
I know two guys way into BTC who on occasion go to Argentina (their native land), they tell me that the scene is lively with traders but (as you report) there are few outlets to SPEND. BTC also goes for a high premium there, as it does protect a BTC holder against the weak currency. * * * But the country in S. America I know best is Peru. Almost NOTHING going on in Peru even though their economy is now weakening. Peru allows free convertibility of their currency vs. the US dollar (their big grocery store chain accepts dollars and "soles"). |
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The book is brand new: Conspiracies of the Ruling Class (Lawrence Lindsey). Lindsey was a Governor at the Federal Reserve, so likely knows what he writes about.
In just a few minutes. Weekend reading! I saw a video of Lindsey a few days ago. Normally I do not buy conspiracy theories, but this looks like it will be about matters we all know about (gridlock, the Federal Reserve, our Independence War & related ideas, etc.).
I will report in later this weekend. In the meantime, if anyone has read it, please share your thoughts.
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RealBitcoin
Hey, I enjoyed looking at your list and reading the comments, LOL.
Quick question:
Would I count my "high-water mark" (most BTC I've ever owned), or what I have now (spent most)? Whatever, my actual BTC expertise is LOWER than my highest holdings.
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CoinATMRadar
A very useful set of comments and website!
I have used two of the three in Miami, yes, they changed the machines. $600 limit per visit, ID required. I believe that "Subsequent Visits" have somewhat less onerous requirements, as the machine (system) remembers who you are, you enter your phone number and PIN number.
I will have to re-check the premium, it WAS 9%. 13.4% is distressingly high (I did not even bother to do the arithmetic when I last bought BTC).
The newer machines are more robust than the older Lamassu's.
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... http://seekingalpha.com/article/3958137-gold-bitcoin-economic-freedomThe article covers a pretty good amount of ground, including a table showing the market cap of the 10 most popular cryptos. BTC at $6 billion plus, LTC at about $1 bn. Do seek out aminorex's comment below the article (re Dash vs. Monero -- a topic for which I have no competence). EDIT: the 180,000 tonnes of above-ground gold are worth some $8.4 TRILLION (Au at market value of $1230). |
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I incline to agree but this is a place where I started so it is natural for me to visit and type when I have some free time.
But sometime there are still quite a number of good discussions which I benefited from in terms of updates and knowledge.
All forums change through time. And those that get REALLY POPULAR often do get lower average quality posts, Zero Hedge being a great example. Since I only know just about certain pieces of Bitcoinistan (and comment on pretty much just those threads pertaining), I do not know about whether bitcointalk.org fits re quality decline. I can tell everyone that I have learned a lot, and appreciate very much the positive comments and nuggets of wisdom I pick up around here. |
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And who's using it now? And for what?
I believe that it is mostly institutions that are using the multi-sig wallets. I know very little about them, but I believe they have the feature where, for example, TWO out of the three users "listed" must sign off on a transaction. My *guess* is that having two or more sign a transaction would mean more accountability. Apparently some of the mining pools use multi-sig wallets. I would appreciate any other basic insights into these 3xxxxx... wallets from people who use them (as well, of course, as to any advantages for non-institutional users). |
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I don't really think that there is any use for a Bitcoin ATM. Just buy Bitcoins from an exchange and then sell Bitcoins to that exchange. Easy.
Well, I don't know. ATMs kind of allow for people to get exposed to Bitcoin as they just see it during everyday life, and some people also might want to directly withdraw as opposed to go through the multitude of verification processes that most other online exchanges require. Yakamoto I agree, they are a visible sign that Bitcoin is catching on... The only drawback (in my case) is that the local BTC ATMs ("BTM") require an ID scan as well as an SMS message to my cellphone. Once (say about two years ago) I used an BTM that did NOT require any ID, and the premium was some 7% or 8% IIRC. I emptied almost all the CA$H I had in my wallet to get BTC, and then used a regular ATM to get cash. That's true, they do require ID scans and the SMS verification. I guess I only remember the old days when there were wild ATMs at different places that didn't need such a thing. I haven't bought any Bitcoin from one of the ATMs though, only ever withdrew. There is a brand of BTM which does not require ID for purchase or withdraw- called Lamassu. The fee is probably around 7-8%. It's a good looking machine, but not sure if there are many around.
https://lamassu.isAlas, phibay, the two Lamassu BTMs in my city DO require ID and SMS message. I believe those are legal requirements, based on local or (US) state's law. As they are "money transmitters"... I am sure that my wonderful experience in NYC with the BTM requiring NO ID & NO messages is only a memory now. Pity. |
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I use Bitcoin reasonably often and like it a lot. And like so many here, I have tried to think various things through as I learn.
I have been unable to think of any good reason why a single user would need or even want a 3xxxxx... wallet. I can see a use if a 3xxxxx... wallet were to be accessed, say, by family members. But would there be any other reasons why anyone would want a multi-sig wallet?
If so, is there a good service offering creation of them?
Thanks!
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coinking
This is an excellent idea, posting all known links to remittance services. I note that Peru is not on anybody's list (Peru has almost no user base of BTC), which is too bad, as my wife & I would use it.
I hope as new remittance services (and similar) are found, that we can keep this thread going. An important source of information.
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I think btbrae and gentlemand have it just right. Who in their right mind would trust a digital coin made by a central bank?
As a guess, monkeying around with the RSCoin (like mixing for example) would likely be banned, and RSCoin would likely have a "feature" that would allow easy tracking...
Ahh, no thanks!
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... I have had pretty good luck (even when the blockchain was under spamming attacks / stress tests) with BTC0.0003 (12 cents). Even for small transactions (say US$10 or even less). Were it to be important (sending over $100 worth of BTC or making a purchase) I would send (and have sent) up to BTC0.0006. 0.0003 - 0.0006 seems to be a nice little plum for almost any miner to harvest... |
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Trump wants to audit the Federal Reserve and clean out the stables.
Return US dollar to constitutional money, new Gold Standard coming?
m_of_a I don't see Trump taking us back to a gold standard. Physical gold owners, of size, would benefit too much. Gold would have to valued at very high levels to be a credible PARTIAL backing of a future US$. Best, IMO, to just let gold go completely... Let the 500 paper claims on each ounce just try to get the ONE physical ounce... fofoa.blogspot.com <--- Long and complicated, he is the source of "$55,000" (per oz) gold. * * * Auditing the FED is long overdue. But, recall that almost all of the gold that the FRBNY has in their Manhattan vault is foreign-owned gold (+/- 400 tonnes is US gold, the rest foreign). If they come up short, ahh, big oops! It would be of great use to carefully examine, by a solid & credible audit), all of the various activities of the FED that would be of interest (one I am curious about is how much money they sent to weak European banks). |
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It figures that the UK would do this in BARKING. The UK is some five years "ahead" of the USA in monitoring. Look there to see some of our future. DNA sampling and testing looks like it will become child's play now. Next announcement: All UK (USA, Eurozone) hospitals will deliver DNA samples of all newborns to .gov. |
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Ok folks, what is your opinion about banking system ponzi scheme?
How much do you think it can be stretched before it collapses? 2-3-5 more years?
If they ban cash and force everyone to use checking account, maybe 10 years?
Let me know your estimates?
I can't give a good estimate, I don't have any real idea. A lot of the time frame depends on whether or not they "Ctrl P" (print the money) in a serious way. One thing to be looking for: if there is a hard deflation, and they decide to hyperinflate, then we know we are in the final innings... If they ban CA$H, there are all kinds of weird and serious distortions that will hit, and hit fast. |
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