I couldn't find where else to place this so if it gets moved I understand. I'm wondering if Bitfinex has a competitor that also offers the service of margin trading / going short and the lending associated with either of those.
See:
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http://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade#FinancialThe problem is that these financial products are regulated activities in most jurisdictions. For that reason, some of these services are operated anonymously or pseudonymously. That introduces counterparty risk.
Keep an eye on CoinSetter.com and Kraken.com as well.