cash remains the only option if there's an emergency

[TastyChillySauce00]

YES!!!

This is the biggest weakness with using Bitcoin - if the electricity goes out or you're unable to reach the blockchain, your funds are not accessible (they might as well be worth nothing).

But, Bitcoin was never designed to be a doomsday currency. It was meant to be a more fair, more efficient way to conduct current financial transactions.

This is the beauty of it, it won't need to replace fiat (nor should it) because fiat will always be necessary in emergency situations. This will help prevent the rulers of fiat currencies from meddling with Bitcoin.

If you have battery for your smart phone and there is wifi or 4G phone service, then it might not be a big problem.

there's still a big problem, when you're in a place and all of people there dont know what is bitcoin

[franky1]

If you have battery for your smart phone and there is wifi or 4G phone service, then it might not be a big problem.

if there is no electric.. there is no wifi.. there is no 4G.. this about what powers those antenna's.. hint: its not jellybeans.

[Amph]

If you have battery for your smart phone and there is wifi or 4G phone service, then it might not be a big problem.

if there is no electric.. there is no wifi.. there is no 4G.. this about what powers those antenna's.. hint: its not jellybeans.

then atm would not work either, unless you have cash already you're screwed anyway

in those case money are the last of your problems i think

[Jayshree85]

in is truly accepted that money is the only option in emergency, but it should be according to the situation, what situation you gave in that money will also not be useable. everything has its own usage. 

[Hellacopter]

in is truly accepted that money is the only option in emergency, but it should be according to the situation, what situation you gave in that money will also not be useable. everything has its own usage. 

I think that in the real emergency cases even the cash couldn't be useful, because the person's life will be in danger and then people usually don't think about using cash or bitcoins, they usually in this cases think about survive..

[zencomp]

in is truly accepted that money is the only option in emergency, but it should be according to the situation, what situation you gave in that money will also not be useable. everything has its own usage. 

I think that in the real emergency cases even the cash couldn't be useful, because the person's life will be in danger and then people usually don't think about using cash or bitcoins, they usually in this cases think about survive..

what you are telling is not right because when your life is in danger ( what type of dange should be knowing) that time the danger can be handled by cash only not by bitcoins because for bitcoin the danger should also be knowing about bitcoin and cash everyone know about it

[HeroCat]

Yes, that's true. In any emergency, the only option is paper cash, in some countries - cash paper is the only option in the streets 

[Betwrong]

in is truly accepted that money is the only option in emergency, but it should be according to the situation, what situation you gave in that money will also not be useable. everything has its own usage. 

I think that in the real emergency cases even the cash couldn't be useful, because the person's life will be in danger and then people usually don't think about using cash or bitcoins, they usually in this cases think about survive..

In the first few hours, yes, but then, if you survived the disaster you'll need something to eat and then you'll need some cash or Bitcoins if it is possible to use them where you are.

[Supercrypt]

in is truly accepted that money is the only option in emergency, but it should be according to the situation, what situation you gave in that money will also not be useable. everything has its own usage. 

I think that in the real emergency cases even the cash couldn't be useful, because the person's life will be in danger and then people usually don't think about using cash or bitcoins, they usually in this cases think about survive..

In the first few hours, yes, but then, if you survived the disaster you'll need something to eat and then you'll need some cash or Bitcoins if it is possible to use them where you are.

Yes, this kind of situation mainly dependent on where you are living in. I believe with bitcoin debit-cards (even it has some higher fees compared to our bank cards) it is completely possible to face any situations with bitcoin.

[RyanLZ]

Yes, this kind of situation mainly dependent on where you are living in. I believe with bitcoin debit-cards (even it has some higher fees compared to our bank cards) it is completely possible to face any situations with bitcoin.

If other fiat credit cards work in emergency, bitcoin credit card should also work in the same situation.

[bbreconomy]

Bitcoin can still work in case of an emergency.

[Kevin77]

in is truly accepted that money is the only option in emergency, but it should be according to the situation, what situation you gave in that money will also not be useable. everything has its own usage. 

I think that in the real emergency cases even the cash couldn't be useful, because the person's life will be in danger and then people usually don't think about using cash or bitcoins, they usually in this cases think about survive..

In the first few hours, yes, but then, if you survived the disaster you'll need something to eat and then you'll need some cash or Bitcoins if it is possible to use them where you are.

Yes, this kind of situation mainly dependent on where you are living in. I believe with bitcoin debit-cards (even it has some higher fees compared to our bank cards) it is completely possible to face any situations with bitcoin.

Yes with bitcoin debit cards, we can spend bitcoin every where. But people need to pay some fees for those cards. Doubtfully these cards may not available for all the countries.

[Blue_Tiger73]

Yeah that is true, but most people that have bitcoin, also have real cash. I would think most people carry around some cash with them during the day. Bitcoin is also an investment for some people, so not being able to access their Bitcoin wallet for like 2 days, isn't really that bad. But yes, cash is the best thing to have in an emergency.

[dothebeats]

Basically food and water and material supplies remain the only option in emergency.

Sadly without the means to buy it, you can't have it. Cash is a globally accepted form of payment. You can't argue with that.

Ok, let me answer this with a question... If you need one of these things {food / water / medical supplies} and I gave you the option to pay with cash / Bitcoin / gold / silver or I

trade one item for the other {food for medical supplies} what would you accept for payment? Let's make this interesting and shake things up a bit.  

In order of priority, I would accept trading for goods first and then any other precious metals and then cash and lastly Bitcoin... Why? Most people will want to do the same and

there are not a lot of options for people to accept Bitcoin during that time. {The process will just be too much effort, and most would have to deal with other stuff, like grief for

the dead}

Like you said, it depends on the person which kind of payment will he/she receive in times like this. There are options, but it depends on the availability of the option you'll be choosing in times of crisis.

[cjmoles]

Anybody remember "Gilligan's Island?"  Thurston Howell had bags of money but they weren't worth anything on the deserted island.  It was the professor who provided what everybody needed.  In the event of an extremely cataclysmic local event, or a total crash of the world economy, the number one commodity will be knowledge...it is that simple!  Our critical thinking skills, our understanding of the environment, our ability to function in a community, our physical health and our mental ability to adapt will determine our fates in such situations....not fiat or bitcoin or status or gold...but knowledge, health, and community.

[OROBTC]

YES!!!

This is the biggest weakness with using Bitcoin - if the electricity goes out or you're unable to reach the blockchain, your funds are not accessible (they might as well be worth nothing).

But, Bitcoin was never designed to be a doomsday currency. It was meant to be a more fair, more efficient way to conduct current financial transactions.

This is the beauty of it, it won't need to replace fiat (nor should it) because fiat will always be necessary in emergency situations. This will help prevent the rulers of fiat currencies from meddling with Bitcoin.

You know the only currency that would work in a doomsday scenario? a 12 gauge automatic shotgun. Im sorry but if anyone expects people to start trading gold coins in the middle of a post apocalyptic doomsday scenario, I think you have too many hopes.
Such a scenario is pretty sci-fi, so I don't see the worries. If electricity fails humanity failed.

If the grid goes down, there will be many graver problems than BTC not working...  And, I don't care if BTC could theoretically work, NO ONE would want Bitcoin in a lights out.

But, the grid going down (long-term, not just hurricane damage, etc.) is not likely.

I do think that gold would retain value, but there is much to say for common-use ammunition.  I would add ".22 LR" rounds, they are small and super-cheap.

[nakedbitcoins]

I have a friend in Cannes, France. You may not know anything about it, but there were terrible floods there 10 days ago.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34443189

My friend told me her landline phone still doesn't work. There are no phones and no Internet in most of downtown Cannes. Electricity has been fixed quite rapidly, but for 2 days, the mobile phone networks were down, so no bitcoin, and no credit cards either! All the shops couldn't handle any transactions.

The only thing which kept on working was the fiber optic network, I guess because that's the newest.

The whole thing was very local. Everything was fine a few km North, but this shall reminds us that if there's a serious emergency, cash is the only safe option.

"cash" that needs to be taken out an ATM. which is a problem if card readers in shops and banks are not working..

in case of disaster, favours, gold, valuables or sexual favours is the safe option. dont rely on cash as one day even france may drop the euro overnight.

Like Sweden ?
http://www.financialpost.com/m/wp/blog.html?b=business.financialpost.com//business-insider/people-in-sweden-are-hiding-cash-in-their-microwaves-because-of-a-fascinating-and-terrifying-economic-experiment

[cjmoles]

Well, there are several ways to exchange bitcoin that don't require the internet...radio, superimposition, paper...etc.  One just needs the knowledge, preparation, and community support to accomplishment the task.  Also, there are other off grid means to generate electricity such as wind, hydro, chemical, and solar mechanisms.

However, in a total economic meltdown, currency will not have value, so that point is mute.  Knowledge and knowhow will rule in such situations.

[cjmoles]

My tight buns are all the currency I need when the world ends.

Everything other than that needed to defend or sustain life is an abstract irrelevance in a full on collapse. All those gold stackers will get just as much of rude awakening as the space cadets trying to trade their paper wallet for some antibiotics after their cock's gone green.

That's no joke. A tight ass and a closet full of antibiotics are all the money you'll need in a major catastrophe. I'm waiting for the big pandemic to come from Asia or Africa that can't be stopped. Something like a new and improved airborn Ebola or H1N1 with rapid onset and death. When martial law happens and the looting starts, I'm not taking food. I'm going straight to the antibiotic section of the closest pharmacy and wiping them out. I'll work out the exchange rate later. Maybe one 500mg keflex for a case of corn and an hour with your wife. lol

LOL!!!!

Remember that antibiotics have an expiration period so long term liquidity is out of the question.

[owm123]

Off course. You can make bitcoin transaction offline. Only with cash you can make transaction without internet, phone, computer, witnesses, etc.