Anyone who has experienced a hard disk failure knows that computers aren't very safe. But the good part of the blockchain is that thousands and thousands of computers all around the world are keeping a copy. My guess is that if all those computers would have all their data erased, BTC would only a minor issue regarding all the other problems the world would face.

Nothing new here. If you're American, it has become nearly impossible to open a bank account in the EU. Accepting American customers means having to deal with the American tax authorities, and that's too much trouble for the average European bank, so Americans are just told to go elsewhere.

Yes, I'd like to get on my BTC, but I wouldn't trust a sh*tty start-up though. I would only do it if HSBC, Credit Suisse, or a really old and respected large bank offers this kind of service. Hey, I believe in the blockchain, but I certainly don't believe all BTC entrepreneurs.

Yes, please do it. We need more individuals to store the blockchain. I did with the latest desktop I've bought. Note that it's smart to have 2 computers though, if you want to do P2P or download software which doesn't come from a trustworthy source.

Note also that the number of banks associated with the US Federal Reserve very, very rarely changes, while the number of central mining pools change all the time. I see 15 of them right there:

https://blockchain.info/pools

Some rich investor could launch a new mining pool next year, and he would be entirely free to set up this new business. Can you go to the Federal Reserve and ask to join the other banks there?

Unless they build a big wall on the Turkish border with soldiers killing anyone trespassing, this is BS. Someone to hire Donald Trump or Israel to build that wall. I've seen pictures of trucks being bombed, maybe they could bomb all the roads so that no vehicle could drive through.

There isn't one single India. It would be closer to reality to say that there are several India. If you go to Mumbai, you'll see people starving, but barely a few blocks from them you see the latest models from Bentley, Mercedes and Rolls Royce. Extreme poverty is side by side with extreme wealth in India. The same goes for BTC knowledge and use.

For the first time in my life, I fully support Putin. I know Turkey is a NATO member and that it has close ties with the EU, but it's time to realize this country do not belong to the western world. Istanbul is a quite modern city, but the rest of the country is third world at best, islamist at worst. And Erdogan is definitely an islamist.

Turkey should be kicked out of NATO. If it ever joins the EU, the whole thing will crash.

The Top 5? This is a tough question, I can't think 5 different companies. There's this board and blockchain.info.
I've used 3 exchanges so far, and the one which I rate best is bitcoin.de.
Sorry, that makes only 3.

I went to a few meetups through meetup.org but that's not a bitcoin company.

I would appreciate it a lot if you give a link to that online panel so I could have a peek all by myself, without asking for more info. Besides, about the transaction history by phone, is that in Polish? You say a Polish address is needed, do you live there? Would you provide this address? Will it be your address?

I think Algeria did that too some years ago. France had deported Algerian delinquents but the North African country didn't want them anymore, so it just sent them back to France. Of course, the people deported didn't pay for their flights, nor the meals they got along the way.

Legendary Russian arm dealer Viktor Bout was also arrested in Thailand. I guess this isn't a safe country to settle down if you're wanted by the FBI. He should have moved to Russia like Snowden, but I suppose he didn't like the weather up North.

I bet on debit cards as most stores right now would see them as safer because of the Visa/MC logo on them. Debit cards may also allow off-chain transactions, meaning faster payments. Everything could change in the future, but for the next 5 years, debit cards are the best option.

Unfortunately, there isn't a bank offering this service yet, but I'd be very happy to see a bank where I could deposit some BTC and gain some interest each year. This, in addition to BTC's normal price rise. The main problem would be to build trust so I don't expect a start-up to launch such a service, but a Swiss bank could do it. Interest would probably be very low, though. Maybe only 1%, but interest rates are low everywhere.

I've read many times that terrorists avoid as much as possible to use smartphones, which can easily be located by police forces, and leave traces of their wrongdoings, so I don't see them using BTC at any time. Better use cash, and that's what they do. 20€ and 50€ bills are the terrorist's best friends.

If this becomes law, which I doubt, it would only mean those people would need to go back to the US to renew their passport. There, it's likely they will have to pay their tax before getting a new passport, but those people would keep their American citizenship, and the right to travel everywhere as long as their passport is valid.

I don't see anything wrong with an increase in transaction fees. If it comes with more safety, and more speed, I'll favor it. Frankly, as long as the fee remains below 10 cents, I don't see why anyone in the first world should care. It's only normal that we pay for such a great service.

It is very difficult to use BTC for money laundering, unless you don't want to exchange it to fiat at some time. Most money launderers are trying to invest in real estate or legit businesses and that's nearly impossible with BTC. You sure can buy pizzas and ice-creams with BTC but that's not what money launderers are trying to achieve.

I'm always amazed when I see a newbie saying he's been mining for 2 years. I never did. I tried once but my computer wasn't up to the task.
Sorry, but both your starting assertions are wrong. Remember that BTC has already been more than 3 times what it's worth now, and it didn't fail. After more than 5 years, I can't imagine BTC failing, unless it is replaced by something better.

Your division with Camp1 and Camp2 is a bit simplistic, but it's a quite true that the solution already exists. Nobody expects anyone to pull a rabbit out of a hat. The different solutions are all well known and well debated. The only question is which one will win.