It's impossible for EVERYONE to benefit

[nicolazza]

Do you understand that it's impossible for everyone to win?

Quote from Bitcoin wiki:
"Bitcoin has an expected win-win outcome. Early and present adopters profit from the rise in value as Bitcoins become better understood and in turn demanded by the public at large. All adopters benefit from the usefulness of a reliable and widely-accepted decentralized peer-to-peer currency."

Everybody wins that embraces it. What are you talking about?

win

[Tirapon]

If Bitcoin teaches the world that no money has 'intrinsic' value, and that the real wealth comes from our own productivity - then EVERYONE will benefit.

If you don't see that happening, just buy some bitcoins now and keep them safe.

[seleme]

How about we make this post the last one here. It's really stupid and pointless thread (many are though but this one is special).

Aren't you a little bit unfair ( fanatic?) on this one?

I've hardly found anything but stupid and pointless threads in the speculation subforum 
At least, this post does not pretend that he can predict the future...

Yeah, I've said many are stupid and pointless but this looks fundamentally pointless.

[old_engineer]

Another way to look at bitcoin is that people with excess fiat are continuously pooling it together in exchanges, but then only people that need fiat right now are withdrawing from the exchanges.  Those that don't need fiat also benefit in the knowledge that if they need fiat, they can get it by raiding their bitcoin "savings account" -- often at multiples of what they put into the account -- which gives them peace of mind.  So no, it's not a zero-sum game, there's more going on.

[kokojie]

Only if you see Bitcoin as a zero sum game like forex, which it is not. Bitcoin is more like a real world economy, when the economy expands/grows, everyone benefits.

[anu]

The 4000 year old bubble.

Who won

Those who lived by the Golden Rule: Those with the gold make the rules

who lost? 

The bagholders who missed the Bitcoin train at a time where you could still get some coins for gold. 

[chiropteran]

The OP's premise is true.  It is impossible for everyone to benefit.  For each bit of value created in bitcoin, value is lost in fiat money.  USD being inflated by 85 billion per month ( http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesdorn/2012/12/27/ben-bernankes-qe4-another-step-toward-helicopter-money-and-away-from-freedom/ ) results in a direct loss in value of USD, that value can flow right into bitcoin.  Of course value doesn't move that smoothly and instantly and some of it is moving into real estate and some into stocks and some into gold and silver, but some of the value can certainly fit into bitcoin.

[Cluster2k]

It is possible for everyone to benefit when a productive economy is built based on bitcoins.  It's also possible for everyone to benefit if they feel (but not actually are) wealthier.  A person with 1000 bitcoins today may feel flush with cash and spend more in their local economy.  Of course if everyone rushes for the exits at the same time then most people lose in the rush to find the Greater Fool.

And always remember, the house always wins.  In this case it's MtGox.  In the case of shares or forex it's your broker and local exchange.  In the case of poker it's the casino.  There are perpetual winners in all cases, just the number of losers varies.

[bitleif]

Bitcoin can be a net positive on society because it is new technology, it makes new things possible/easier that were previously impossible or impractical. That doesn't mean "everybody" wins. Those who are heavily invested in the old system may lose. The horse-and-buggy industry lost big when cars were invented.

[BubbleBoy]

It's actually possible that everyone benefits: when governments print money out of thin air they can spend it's value without anybody losing anything right then. It's called seigniorage. Of course, there no free lunch and eventually someone will foot the bill, usually the people left holding the worthless money when the currency is debased or abolished.

Bitcoin tries to move that seigniorage profit in the hands of the early adopters. In theory the losers would be those left holding bitcoins in the far off future when bitcoins are superseded by a better wealth transfer system. In practice that future is much closer than most people expect.

[Richy_T]

The OP's premise is true.  It is impossible for everyone to benefit.  For each bit of value created in bitcoin, value is lost in fiat money.  USD being inflated by 85 billion per month ( http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesdorn/2012/12/27/ben-bernankes-qe4-another-step-toward-helicopter-money-and-away-from-freedom/ ) results in a direct loss in value of USD, that value can flow right into bitcoin.  Of course value doesn't move that smoothly and instantly and some of it is moving into real estate and some into stocks and some into gold and silver, but some of the value can certainly fit into bitcoin.

Nonsense. As others have said, it is not a zero sum game. Now, fiat is so crappy that it is bound to lose out but that is not necessarily the case just because there is a new decentralised, fluid currency on the block. And of course, if you gamble with trading, you have a chance of losing but that is a choice that is made by the individual.

Those that don't understand the essence of free trade, which is individuals performing an exchange which enhances the value proposition of both, need to meditate on things a little more.

[Spaceman_Spiff]

Nonsense. As others have said, it is not a zero sum game.
Those that don't understand the essence of free trade, which is individuals performing an exchange which enhances the value proposition of both, need to meditate on things a little more.

This.