Could this be the first state to adopt Bitcoin?

[benjamindees]

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/catalonia-declares-itself-sovereign-entity

The parliament of Spain's powerful northeastern region of Catalonia has approved a largely symbolic declaration stating the region is a sovereign entity, paving the way for a referendum on independence from Spain.

[nexus6]

Well, it's highly unlikely. Catalans politicians already said that in the case of independence the Euro will remain as the official currency. 
Source: I'm Catalan.

[Luno]

Any nation adopting Bitcoin, or any other independent national currency, will be met by a currency embargo by international banking so it will have to surround itself with secondary exchanges to be able to trade with other countries. It will become a very rigid system to do business in. And exchanges will be needed as You will never be able to buy crude oil with Bitcoins.

History have shown that any nation that "just say No to banks" are met with military force and infiltration. No sane politician would ever suggest it, currupt or not. We sadly do not live in such a world.

Bitcoin is a currency for the people by the people, so the distributed nature of Bitcoin is hard to corner. So even if there is an international banking embargo against businesses handling Bitcoin, it will be impossible to prevent people knowing about it and doing business in Bitcoin.

Maybe it would be allowed on a small island state like Jersy or Fief of Shark (If they overthrow their dictator), but if there are too many success stories, the invisible hand will clamp down on it.

Centuries of organised international banking are not going to end because someone invented a better system.

No nation controles it's own currency! The notion that a government can manage it's own economy by adjusting taxes and public investments is a lie they tell you to get elected, banking decides what happens next.

It will never happen.

[Lethn]

Do you know how useless a currency embargo against Bitcoin would be? It'd be like trying to declare war against every hacker on the internet, while I would hide in the basement I'd still laugh my arse off at the stupidity of the major powers.

[cbeast]

Centuries of [insert museum displays] are not going to end because someone invented a better system.

FTFY
Time will tell.

[casascius]

Can you tell me what's at the top of the right-hand pyramid?  Or link to a higher quality image?  I can't tell what it is.

[Luno]

Can you tell me what's at the top of the right-hand pyramid?  Or link to a higher quality image?  I can't tell what it is.

It's a clawed hary hand that grabs after a bag of coins.

I uploaded it thru tinypic but they compressed it. the original is 1500x440. Do you know of a better pic hosting site.

[myrkul]

I uploaded it thru tinypic but they compressed it. the original is 1500x440. Do you know of a better pic hosting site.

Dropbox. Might help to re-size it.

[casascius]

Sweet.  If you're actually modifying it, you may want to fix a couple minor errors: it should be "what the public believes" (not believe), and what the politicians believe (not politician believe).

[Luno]

Sweet.  If you're actually modifying it, you may want to fix a couple minor errors: it should be "what the public believes" (not believe), and what the politicians believe (not politician believe).

Fixed it, bad english!


http://www.freeimagehosting.net/oi2xg

[casascius]

Sweet.  If you're actually modifying it, you may want to fix a couple minor errors: it should be "what the public believes" (not believe), and what the politicians believe (not politician believe).

Fixed it, bad english!


http://www.freeimagehosting.net/x8c3c

This one appears to have the text deleted rather than fixed.

[Luno]

Sweet.  If you're actually modifying it, you may want to fix a couple minor errors: it should be "what the public believes" (not believe), and what the politicians believe (not politician believe).

Fixed it, bad english!


http://www.freeimagehosting.net/x8c3c

This one appears to have the text deleted rather than fixed.

Fixed the fix!!! original posted link corrected now

Had dragged the text frame outside the paper!!!

[herzmeister]

Well, it's highly unlikely. Catalans politicians already said that in the case of independence the Euro will remain as the official currency. 
Source: I'm Catalan.

Euro? I don't get it that they don't get it. 

[nobbynobbynoob]

Some of the separatist parties in the EU aren't actually advocating independence, merely separate provincehood within the EUSSR. This may (or may not) apply to the Catalan nationalists. The SNP in Scotland don't really want full Scottish independence, but were they to win a referendum, ironically they might actually get it, because the EUSSR won't necessarily automatically readopt them as a successor state.

Some of the nationalist groups who ARE advocating some kind of full independence for their nation are racists/fascists, others are socialists, and there are probably others in the mix besides. Some shades are a lot uglier than others (e.g. in the UK, compare the difference between UKIP and BNP).

[payb.tc]

You will never be able to buy crude oil with Bitcoins.

saving this quote for later

[Luno]

You will never be able to buy crude oil with Bitcoins.

saving this quote for later

I was tempted to stake a bet of 1 BTC, but if I'm wrong, I will owe someone $ 1.000.000

[Monster Tent]

Im sure if you offered an oil driller on a private property enough BTC you could indeed buy oil.

[Seth Otterstad]

The first state to accept bitcoin will be one that is hostile to the western financial system, such as Iran.

[CoinVisitor]

As far as trading oil in bitcoin, it would be a declaration of war on America. The trading of oil in the dollar has been a major stability factor in the dollar.  Petrodollar warfare is a true thing and I believe to be one of the single most deciding factors in the invasion of Iraq. Saddam did the same things he always did overall without our intervention, but once he had the meetings with other opec nations and was going to trade in the Dinar did we step in. By him saying that and intending on doing it he honestly declared economic warfare on the united states...... that usually does not end well.

 Same thing would apply to bitcoin, if you want to kill it fast then go ahead. Bitcoin is not fail safe yet, if pool or entity ever gets control of more than half the hashing power they control what is confirmed and where the branches go. I am no expert but this is what I have been told is the crippler of the system in place right now. Bitcoin needs to stay under radar and not be seen as a threat for as long as it can until it gets a good foothold in things more.

 I am sure oil was just and example but it just brings to mind that certain areas of markets should be taboo for the time being. Let the bitcoin giant sleep a little longer.........