Where are the arbiters?

[trogdorjw73]

Curious... how does BitInstant run out of funds so frequently? Seems like they're just a part of Tradehill anyway, but I guess when everyone is trying to take advantage of the $0.30 spread.... I know I transferred quite a bit through them in the past day (several $100 in multiple passes), and they get a 0.89% to 1.29% cut each time. Guess they have to wait for the MtGox withdrawals to actually show up? But they can still accept through Dwolla, so it seems like more of a way to just increase their margins when there's a large gap.

[old_engineer]

It looks like an arbiter finally managed to move that huge sell wall @$3 from Tradehill to annihilate the huge $3 bid wall Mt. Gox.  It only took, what, 36 hours?

[epetroel]

Curious... how does BitInstant run out of funds so frequently? Seems like they're just a part of Tradehill anyway, but I guess when everyone is trying to take advantage of the $0.30 spread.... I know I transferred quite a bit through them in the past day (several $100 in multiple passes), and they get a 0.89% to 1.29% cut each time. Guess they have to wait for the MtGox withdrawals to actually show up? But they can still accept through Dwolla, so it seems like more of a way to just increase their margins when there's a large gap.

But they still have to have money at TradeHill to give you.  Since they can't get money into Tradehill via Dwolla (presumably), they either have to go through Paxum or bank transfers, both of which can take days.

[gewure]

This kind of lack of liquidity in the exchange itself is not a good sign. Today's arbitrage opportunity can be tomorrow's scramble for the doors. It is not sufficient that a few methods work, even if they are methods that you yourself use, if any of them do not work, and this affects the liquidity of the exchange, it is bad news. Without some stability to all the advertised funding/withdrawal methods I have to say I am out.

the fact that we discuss this rare arbitrage opportunities here and everybody is stressing to buy as fast as possible should be enough negation to your lack-of-liquidity-thesis. bitcoin is still a very small market. spreads are high, volatility is high, arbitrage is high (markets coordinates TIME and INTEREST according to Friedrich Hayek), and offcourse, where there is only a small number of traders, there is also a bigger delay in coordination (of time and interest).

btw: this thread just destroyed some asymetric information, therefore it helps lowering spreads, arbitrage and volatility. an possible (if i may assume that the most of us is acting rationally) increase liquidity, due to instant profit opportunities.

taking into account that bitcoin is traded 24/7 and that people sleep 8/7, have different timezones, don't look at charts and markets all the time, have no account at tradehill at all, or are simply wathcing several other markets, i am not in any way concerned.

the sheer mass of small and big bitcoin trading plattforms is to me a sign of increasing liquidity, not decreasing.

information is the key. information regarding big arbitrage has a certain value in BTC, in this case up to ~0,20 * 1000 BTC -> quite a lot.

[EuSouBitcoin]

I'm waiting for Mt Gox to process a withdrawal from Mt Gox to my Paxum account so I can then send the money over to TradeHill. About how long does it take Mt Gox to process a withdrawal to a Paxum account? Trying to get ready for the next arb appportunity.

[epetroel]

I'm waiting for Mt Gox to process a withdrawal from Mt Gox to my Paxum account so I can then send the money over to TradeHill. About how long does it take Mt Gox to process a withdrawal to a Paxum account? Trying to get ready for the next arb appportunity.

Either an hour, or a week, depending on whether or not they have any money at Paxum.  Usually it goes pretty smooth (hour or two transfers) for a couple days, then a week where no transfers go through, then it goes smooth for a couple days again, then another week with no transfers, rinse, repeat.

At least that's been my experience over the last month or so.