Is Bitcoin 'real money' to you?

[Blawpaw]

I'm a freelancer and only accept Bitcoin; for me Bitcoin is much more than money. It is a safe haven and the most adequate tool to transmit value.

[OrientA]

The reasoning behind my thinking that Bitcoin isn't real money is :

1, You can't goto your local petrol station or McDonald's to buy either cigarettes or burgers.
2. Do I really want to wait from 15 mins - 2 hours to confirm a small purchase at an establishment.
3. Sooner or later someone will crack private keys or find a way to control wallets and all Bitcoin will turn to dust.
4. How would you calculate the price of an item if Bitcoins price is so fickle

sir, you're exceptionally stupid.

Not actually. These are legitimate questions.

The confirmation time prevents the daily usage of bitcoin for the time being. When bitcoin is adopted widely, there will be more support of the infrastructure, such as those for fiats. Bitcoin will be used like today's fiat, with the added benefit of transfer without using a bank.

[ajrah]

The reasoning behind my thinking that Bitcoin isn't real money is :

1, You can't goto your local petrol station or McDonald's to buy either cigarettes or burgers.
2. Do I really want to wait from 15 mins - 2 hours to confirm a small purchase at an establishment.
3. Sooner or later someone will crack private keys or find a way to control wallets and all Bitcoin will turn to dust.
4. How would you calculate the price of an item if Bitcoins price is so fickle

Isn't it the same thing if you show up in the petrol station holding a Japanese Yen while you are in Thailand? Same with going to McDonalds in Singapore and you only have Vietnam Dong with you. You need to go to an Exchanger to convert to local currency. ATM skimming is also rampant today which may endanger your life while withdrawing money from an ATM. The only thing that we hate with Bitcoins is the confirmation process which takes 15-20 minutes for the 1st confirmation.

[Triple]

Yes most definitely! I don't see why it wouldn't be considered as money. It can easily be traded for cash and other currencies and can be used to buy goods. Why wouldn't it be real money

[thejaytiesto]

Bitcoin is the best thing ever since the internet for freelancers. No longer you need to do a lot of paperwork to get some money coming. Just get some wallet, address and start getting money for your freelance services. When smart contracts are all up and running we dont even need a 3rd party escrow anymore.

[MJK]

The reasoning behind my thinking that Bitcoin isn't real money is :

1, You can't goto your local petrol station or McDonald's to buy either cigarettes or burgers.
2. Do I really want to wait from 15 mins - 2 hours to confirm a small purchase at an establishment.
3. Sooner or later someone will crack private keys or find a way to control wallets and all Bitcoin will turn to dust.
4. How would you calculate the price of an item if Bitcoins price is so fickle

sir, you're exceptionally stupid.

Yeah can't really take this post seriously as there's several levels of ignorance but I'm tired of seeing the waiting for confirmations stupidness. Once you send bitcoins they're as good as spent so no need to wait, but do you wait six months when you send a Paypal or creditcard payment? No.

[Xialla]

yes, because they have some defined value and I can buy goods and services with them - so change them for another value..

[Wapinter]

Bitcoin is definitely real money to me.I earn and save bitcoin to buy various stuff for myself and for my family.I am willing to do my regular job for bitcoin but unfortunately its a long way before my business clients adopt to bitcoin.

[MissionPhailed]

Bitcoin is real money for me, but still very limited by the fact that general acceptance hasn't happened yet and thus very few places offer the possibility to pay with Bitcoin. I'll admit I've never paid with Bitcoin, but plan to do so on the short term as there are a number of organisations in my country that DO accept BTC.

[maokoto]

For me is not as real as fiat money. I know it can convert to real money very well, and that it has a lot of potential. But it is not secure, it is risky in itself, and as other users said, it is not really that easily spendable. This put it somewhat in another category.

I heard that casino chips are used in order to disconnect players from the fact that they are using real money to play, and this is a little the same. Best thing would be to really be concious and think deep that it IS real money.

[Hellacopter]

For me is not as real as fiat money. I know it can convert to real money very well, and that it has a lot of potential. But it is not secure, it is risky in itself, and as other users said, it is not really that easily spendable. This put it somewhat in another category.

I heard that casino chips are used in order to disconnect players from the fact that they are using real money to play, and this is a little the same. Best thing would be to really be concious and think deep that it IS real money.

I think this idea is not really true, because in my opinion as we can use Bitcoin to make trades, sell and buy real things online and offline, and as we can exchange Bitcoin for fiat easily , it's already real currency as other currencies. I don't get why you consider it risky, because i think it's indeed easily spendable

[couineur]

sir, you're exceptionally stupid.

It's difficult to say if it is stupid or not, but at least it is not exceptional as a lot of people, including myself, think the same

[coinbitte]

Of course, it IS!

[Decoded]

I strongly believe that Bitcoin is "real money". It was meant to represent a digital form of gold, but now it is used in everyday payments, like buying pizza. Can you buy pizza with gold? No! Only a currency.

See my logic?

[skeet]

Yes it is, if you can buy goods and services with bitcoin. Cannot be a real money if it is worthless and no real value.

[Blue_Tiger73]

When I started to use bitcoin, I thought that it was online currency, which it is. Bitcoin is online currency but at the same time you can use it in daily life. A lot of places now accept bitcoin. Another factor is that online stores like Amazon now accept bitcoin. Normally you would use paypal which is real money, so if you use bitcoin to pay doesn't that mean you are paying with real money as well.

[Light]

From a risk perspective I feel like it's the same thing at casino's where they switched to chips and credits. IIRC there have been psychology studies that noted having an alternate "form" (for lack of a better word) creates a disconnect between the value of the chips in relation to their actual worth in the player's mind. Hence you would be right in assuming it would promote riskier behavior -  which is what we see with the gambling, investment schemes and lending.

That makes a lot of sense. What is strange though is that it requires real effort and commitment to take hold of the coins you squander. These people who spend forever clicking faucets only to spunk the meagre proceeds seem to forget that it took countless hours of their lives to obtain them. Even getting on a vanilla exchange requires a lot of hoop jumping.

That's psychology for you - the reality is that people are strange and do strange and irrational things all the time. That being said - if I were to take a guess I would think that the people who spend lots of time on faucets etc are less likely to risk their BTC than the people who just buy it through exchanges and so forth. Simply being - requiring less effort reinforces its value less.

[roadbits]

Yes it is, if you can buy goods and services with bitcoin. Cannot be a real money if it is worthless and no real value.

Yes that is true. Bitcoin is a real money but one can't buy all items and in all places because as of now bitcoin is limited to internet users so only one can buy items or services through online. Normal stores may not accept your bitcoins so even though it is a real money but currently only limited to buy only certain things online.

[Hellacopter]

Yes it is, if you can buy goods and services with bitcoin. Cannot be a real money if it is worthless and no real value.

Yes that is true. Bitcoin is a real money but one can't buy all items and in all places because as of now bitcoin is limited to internet users so only one can buy items or services through online. Normal stores may not accept your bitcoins so even though it is a real money but currently only limited to buy only certain things online.

I think that in the near future we will be able to buy and sell goods and services offline for bitcoins worldwide. Just we have to be patients , and to continue our support and advertising bitcoins , and using it as much as we can

[UserVVIP]

I consider anything that I can get something by spending it is real money, so yes, I do.