cash remains the only option if there's an emergency

[Light]

Depends on the severity of the emergency I would think. If you had a major worldwide disaster which killed off half the population and a majority of crop land etc. you'd expect that cash and gold be less relevant simply because there would be demand for things like food and shelter whereas cash and gold are useless (unless they can buy things). If society recedes far enough you would simply return to the barter system - it takes society as a whole to choose a currency/token for it to be useful.

[mtnsaa]

Depends on the severity of the emergency I would think. If you had a major worldwide disaster which killed off half the population and a majority of crop land etc. you'd expect that cash and gold be less relevant simply because there would be demand for things like food and shelter whereas cash and gold are useless (unless they can buy things). If society recedes far enough you would simply return to the barter system - it takes society as a whole to choose a currency/token for it to be useful.

Food would be scarce and valuable but food rots. Gold will be king again, it still has the same properties so if we regress to that state then it's only natural that we adopt it again.

[teddy5145]

A country wide outage is highly unlikely. As long as there are suitable methods of transportation, you'll always be able to get to a location that will at the very least allow you to access the internet via mobile, which will in turn allow you access to your coins

You won't be able to access internet at all when your city gets hit by a tornadoes and all the phone lines are down
I love Bitcoin and love the anonymity it provides, but we can't completely stay away from fiat money yet, we still need those for a lot of stuffs
Unless, we have a physical Bitcoin that accepted at stores

Fiber optics are buried deep beneath the ground, so there is a chance that internet connection is available for those people who availed fiber connections. As for physical bitcoins, I don't think it would be that viable since you need to print or create something like fiat, plus transactions won't be recorded on the blockchain too.

Sorry to say, not all countries have fibre optic yet mate
Some still use an old phone lines to access the internet

I was joking about the physical Bitcoins
That idea sounds ridiculous and wouldn't happen in a long run

[RyanLZ]

Get a satellite phone with internet. Problem solved.

In an emergency, there is no electricity or battery.

[erikalui]

Fiber optics are buried deep beneath the ground, so there is a chance that internet connection is available for those people who availed fiber connections. As for physical bitcoins, I don't think it would be that viable since you need to print or create something like fiat, plus transactions won't be recorded on the blockchain too.

I do believe that physical bitcoins will be available in the near future so that more people start making use of this currency as not everyone owns an internet connection and those who own might not be able to access their wallet in an emergency (network failure or pc crash). However, it would be like black money as the transactions wouldn't be recorded and people will keep buying it to avoid paying taxes.

[dothebeats]

Fiber optics are buried deep beneath the ground, so there is a chance that internet connection is available for those people who availed fiber connections. As for physical bitcoins, I don't think it would be that viable since you need to print or create something like fiat, plus transactions won't be recorded on the blockchain too.

I do believe that physical bitcoins will be available in the near future so that more people start making use of this currency as not everyone owns an internet connection and those who own might not be able to access their wallet in an emergency (network failure or pc crash). However, it would be like black money as the transactions wouldn't be recorded and people will keep buying it to avoid paying taxes.

But doing that seems like we're heading to a fiat-like currency too, right? Especially coins are off-blockchain  so anyone can produce as many physical bitcoins as they can given that validation is absent with physical bitcoins.

[Betwrong]

Get a satellite phone with internet. Problem solved.

In an emergency, there is no electricity or battery.

No electricity? - yes. No battery - hard to imagine.

Many places like hotels, restaurants, stores etc have their own power generators. In a state of emergency they most likely will help you to charge your phone.

[crairezx20]

Sir if this is a emegency you can try this things goto to nearest house or charging station or travel to other place does not affected,any has electricity generator to charge your phone after that depends on your carrier has a emegency text call or internet that can use it as emegency if theres a signal...
May i ask if what carrier do you use AT&t? At&t has a trick to unlimited all services like call text and also internet... Im not a professional to this but in my place if i need a emergency text i can do hack my network to have a internet unlimited to text or call via skype.... I have a knowledge about this kind of talent since 2007 and still i used it as my emegency case...

[erikalui]

But doing that seems like we're heading to a fiat-like currency too, right? Especially coins are off-blockchain  so anyone can produce as many physical bitcoins as they can given that validation is absent with physical bitcoins.

It would be similar to fiat but more like gold and silver coins mainly to be used as a barter system. It's necessary when people cannot access the internet and need to use their bitcoins. The anonymity would still exist and taxes could be avoided.

@bold: There could be a trademark or symbol like we have for gold coins so that nobody could make fake bitcoins and cheat users.

[Amph]

Get a satellite phone with internet. Problem solved.

In an emergency, there is no electricity or battery.

bitcoin was not meant to fulfill those niche isolated enviroment, it was not intended as the messia for every problem

some of those can still be resolved with the old traditional method, this does not mean that bitcoin is flawed or whatever...

[gentlemand]

No matter what happens in one single place or location, you'll always be able to (have no other choice but to) travel to a location that isn't effected

That's what humans have done since the dawn of mankind, migration... it works ; )

That's fine in modest numbers. What if you've got half a continent making its way towards somewhere? That's going to be a smelly old mess however you look at it.

[pedrog]

That sucks big time, not only for private use but also for businesses, I work in IT, no Internet means I cannot do my job.

I always have cash for at least a month of normal spending, in case of something like this happen or I lose my cards, it's always better to be prepared...

[OROBTC]

...

The whole "cash is the only option" can be examined in three scenarios too:

1)  Travelers on vacation or business are in a zone with a temporary emergency.  They lose electricity, and so have to resort to cash (or perhaps gold if severe).  BTC and credit cards won't be any good for the short-term IMO.  And who travels with a Glock and ammo?  This first scenario seems most likely (to Westerners anyway).

2)  A really bad & longer-term emergency hits (say a Katrina) where you live.  Then cash is still good, but that gun sure would make me feel better.  Gold might be OK.  Food and water enter the mix as people would be hungry & thirsty.  BTC likely would not be too good either, credit cards probably not for a while after the emergency strikes.

3)  A really bad SHTF.  Internet goes down, so who would want to transact by BTC?  Not me.  Cash, guns & ammo, gold, food & water.  This is the least likely scenario.

So, to me, BTC works best in non-emergencies.  And, my best guess is that the system will limp along OK at least for some time.  BTC, like platinum, is for optimists.  BTC works well in a capital-controls environment as well.

[Wapinter]

Get a satellite phone with internet. Problem solved.

In an emergency, there is no electricity or battery.

Even if you have electricity,the seller or other person must also have satellite phone to receive your payment

[gentlemand]

Are we prepared to admit to ourselves that in a fall of society type scenario Bitcoin usage is a totally ridiculous abstraction from the good old days however you want to pitch it? I certainly am.

[Hellacopter]

That sucks big time, not only for private use but also for businesses, I work in IT, no Internet means I cannot do my job.

I always have cash for at least a month of normal spending, in case of something like this happen or I lose my cards, it's always better to be prepared...

It's hard for everyone nowadays to imagine working without internet, and especially for the networkers and the Bitcoin's fans, although such emergency cases still possibles to happen any time

[jeffthebaker]

If there is a real emergency or some sort of epidemic then even cash is useless. I'd be moving with my Glock, that'd be the only way to survive

Haha, yeah this is what I was thinking, reminds me of the walking dead.

In one of the episodes, they find a bunch of money in a country club, and literally just burn it because that's its only value.

So in regards to OP, unfortunately Bitcoin is still useless in the event of real emergency. But in the event of a catastrophic event, what good will any legal tender do you?

[Ilsk]

For some situations cash is just better, not only in emergencies. Bitcoin can take the place of bank transfers, not of cash.

[Pathi]

Guy's, in a true shtf situation knowledge is king. I read an article once that concerned a refugee from a civil war. He lived in a city with no services for 2 years.

The thing that struck me was this, the man that made and repaired oil lamps never missed a meal.

[Kevin77]

In my experience, only plastic money is more useful than fiats now a days in many country. Bitcoin may over take the plastic money with mobile wallets when most of the merchants and services starting accept bitcoin. I foresee those days when we can each and everything with mobile and instant confirmation too.