Is speculation good or bad for Bitcoin?

[chickenado]

*For the purpose of this poll, speculation is defined as buying/selling BTC with the intent of making a profit on the difference.

[rebuilder]

What's the point of even asking? Speculation is a natural consequence of the fluctuations in exchange rates. You can't do anything about it even if you wanted to.

[chickenado]

What's the point of even asking? Speculation is a natural consequence of the fluctuations in exchange rates. You can't do anything about it even if you wanted to.

This poll is just about sentiment, not about what can/should be done about speculation.  The point of asking? To get a feel where the Bitcoin community is going. Some forum members have already talked about forking or rebooting the block chain because of what they perceive as excessive speculation.

[laanwj]

Forking or changing to an alternative chain won't decrease speculation either. You'll get cross-chain speculation, for example.

The only way to get less speculation would be if the price stabilised, and this will happen sooner if you don't pull the rug underneath it.

Anyway, I agree with the other reply that it is not necessarily bad, it's simply a fact of life. People are speculating with everything, from art to commodities to stocks. It's part of the price discovery process.

[FreeMoney]

A so called "speculator" is not doing anything but making offers to sell and/or buy bitcoins. If someone is 'hurt' by this they need to watch out for butterflies imo.

[rebuilder]

I can't see anything you could do to stop speculation except somehow make it impossible to use Bitcoin for any kind of trading. Which, obviously, rather defeats the purpose.

Asking whether speculation is bad is like asking whether the wind is bad. It's there, everything we do will just have to take it into account.

[rezin777]

Thank "random deity here" that people are interested in buying and selling Bitcoin. 

[eturnerx]

The speculators create exchange liquidity for the rest of us. That liquidity helps us reach a value that properly takes into account the future based on all current known information much sooner.

[da2ce7]

good.