[OFFICIAL]Bitfinex.com first Bitcoin P2P lending platform for leverage trading

[noggin-scratcher]

By the way, guys, the news was finally announced. I know that I told you we were working on something, but we can finally get your opinion. We are upgrading our backend by partnering with AlphaPoint.

Had to look up who AlphaPoint are... exciting stuff.

Does a backend upgrade mean we can finally be free of the nagging concern that some bug from the old Bitcoinica code might come to light and wreck shit?

Also, is it safe to assume that everything will still be running on Bitfinex' own servers under only their own control? Outsourcing the hosting of it to another company would seem like a mad risk to take.

[2586]

any plans to remove Darkcoin? [...]

[...] It's even worse considering that they only make 0.1% per trade on LTC and DRK. That comes out to $3,417.73 income in the last 30 days for Litecoin, and (drum roll) $253.01 for Darkcoin. I wonder if they've broken even yet on the cost of integrating it.

That is a very interesting statistic...I will look into this, although, it really doesn't hurt anyone to keep it now that it is here.

It does increase the complexity of your internal systems a little bit, and clutters up the UI. Those are definitely just minor drawbacks though. Mainly I think dabbling in altcoins looks unprofessional. They're all doomed in the long run, so integrating them is just a (apparently failed) money grab.

[mjr]

By the way, guys, the news was finally announced. I know that I told you we were working on something, but we can finally get your opinion. We are upgrading our backend by partnering with AlphaPoint.

Had to look up who AlphaPoint are... exciting stuff.

Does a backend upgrade mean we can finally be free of the nagging concern that some bug from the old Bitcoinica code might come to light and wreck shit?

Also, is it safe to assume that everything will still be running on Bitfinex' own servers under only their own control? Outsourcing the hosting of it to another company would seem like a mad risk to take.

Yes, that article was a little unclear on this point, but we are partnering with them to specifically handle the matching engine part of the system. Our entire accounts system will remain as it is. We still have multisig cold storage, and we will control the coins.

Our code, to address another comment, has nothing in common with the Bitcoinica code currently, but if this finally puts that issue to bed, so much the better.

It is mainly going to address two things:
1. Scalability - We will be able to process around a million orders per second, and this will reduce lag, and allow us to keep growing
2. Features - We will finally be able to start offering a bunch of new methods to access our system, such as FIX and websockets, as well as new features. We are also exploring offering new currency pairs. Which ones would most interest you guys?

I was in New York, working with the guys from AlphaPoint, and I really like them. They build good software, and they are being used on a lot of other smaller exchanges. So, mainly if I am not here, I am working on that upgrade.

Another interesting question was about alt coins? I, personally, am very much a bitcoin only person, but what do you guys think?

[iruu]

Regarding FRR. I like the delta option, provided it creates fixed rates (ie. they move only on the offer book). Computing variable frr+delta offers into frr could have funny effects.  

FRR isn't efficient because swap market is inefficient. Swap market is inefficient because it's impossible to speculate that the interest rate is going up. If I have a crystal ball that tells me rates are going up tomorrow, how can I act on that? I can't, at best I can stop lending and wait. Thus market stays inefficient. It's unrelated to the FRR, thus there's no fix to the FRR that can make it really better.

If I think rates are going down this works ok already.  

Possible solution:
Allow to reoffer borrowed (unused) swap, provided the swap time allows it (so if I got a 30 day swap I can lend it for 29 days).
In the case that the difference between rates is negative (ie. I borrowed swap for 30 days at 0.1%, I offer at 0.09% for 2 days) lock the difference for the whole maximum period. In addition to speculators who expect to make the difference later, this allows traders to reserve good (in their opinion) long term rates cheaper, at the additional cost of being locked for 2 days max (or other period they choose).  

This should decrease rates volatility, especially 1% spikes. At very high rates some traders might even close their longs to relend their swaps.  

[atlosas]

Hello, let's say i have 10k. I want to place a margin buy at 210 (in case of flash crash) and margin sell at let's say 300. How to do that?

[MustMan]

Bitfinex Prepares for Bitcoin Trading Growth with New Back-End

http://www.coindesk.com/bitfinex-alphapoint-integration/

[mjr]

Hello, let's say i have 10k. I want to place a margin buy at 210 (in case of flash crash) and margin sell at let's say 300. How to do that?

For the margin buy, that is standard, you would just place a buy order at 210. If the other order is only meant to be placed if the first one is placed, you will probably need to write a bot, or simply place it when you get notified of your order getting filled.

Can you clarify the scenario? This is what i imagine...

1. You place an order to buy 10k worth of bitcoin at 210
2. The order gets filled
3. You then place a sell at 300 to flatten the position

Right now, you would have to wait to be notified of the first order being filled, then you could place another order to sell at 300

[atlosas]

I see, thnx

[zauker]

I'm not getting replies to my emails to support, lately.

That makes me uncomfortable: as a matter of fact, even if those emails were about low priority issues, what if I have a high priority issue?

This is the last but one email I sent, about a bug:

Autorenew swaps, when executed, and in spite of proper selecting the relevant checkbox, do NOT send confirmation email.
NOR such swap, when it closes, will send the notification email.
These two bugs have been introduced weeks ago (before, the system behaved correctly, sending the relevant emails).

And in the last one email, as a feedback, I suggested some features to be implemented, i.e.

1. Chat support
2. Prompt reply to customer emails
3. Prompt solution to bugs
4. Accept SEPA deposits
5. Price to be shown with two digits (instead of one only) after the dot (e.g. in Exchange tab)

Hopefully someone by the company will address my concerns, here?

[noggin-scratcher]

Autorenew swaps, when executed, and in spite of proper selecting the relevant checkbox, do NOT send confirmation email.
NOR such swap, when it closes, will send the notification email.

I've noticed something similar with swaps that are partially paid back - I have the Notify option turned on throughout, and it doesn't turn itself off for the remainder after a partial pay-back, but I've had instances of someone paying a swap off in $0.30 increments over the course of a day and received only one email (for the first increment).

[mjr]

I'm not getting replies to my emails to support, lately.

That makes me uncomfortable: as a matter of fact, even if those emails were about low priority issues, what if I have a high priority issue?

This is the last but one email I sent, about a bug:

Autorenew swaps, when executed, and in spite of proper selecting the relevant checkbox, do NOT send confirmation email.
NOR such swap, when it closes, will send the notification email.
These two bugs have been introduced weeks ago (before, the system behaved correctly, sending the relevant emails).

And in the last one email, as a feedback, I suggested some features to be implemented, i.e.

1. Chat support
2. Prompt reply to customer emails
3. Prompt solution to bugs
4. Accept SEPA deposits
5. Price to be shown with two digits (instead of one only) after the dot (e.g. in Exchange tab)

Hopefully someone by the company will address my concerns, here?

Hi there, what is your email or username so I can look for your message? I will see what is going on, and try to resolve it for you.

In response to your suggestions:
1. Good idea, I've thought of that myself
2. The vast majority of emails are responded to within 24 hours, and most within an hour. They are prioritized by severity, so people locked out of their account, or who think they may have had their password compromised are taken care of ASAP.
3. We currently have very high turnaround on bug fixes, usually same day.
4. We are looking into SEPA, but that is primarily for euros, and we are also looking into a BTC/Euro pair
5. In order to show as many digits as you like in the order book, click the "+" symbol in the top of the order book, you can aggregate the levels to as many decimal places as you like.

Here is an example of the last suggestion in action:
http://imgur.com/a/yt093

(you can make it display more or less decimal places, i just included 3 as an example)

Anyway, let me know the information and I will look into it.

[zauker]

4. We are looking into SEPA, but that is primarily for euros, and we are also looking into a BTC/Euro pair

Thanks for replying. In the meantime I got an email from support. So everything is ok so far.
And thanks for the input.
Regarding SEPA deposit, if Bitfinex is considering to implement BTC/EUR that's fine.
However my request is that SEPA deposit should be free of charges (both by Bitfinex and Bitfinex's bank) and have a very cheap spread on EUR/USD.
For example Bitstamp excels in such department. If Bitfinex could do the same, I firmly believe it would win tons of european users.

[whatthesith]

I'm not getting replies to my emails to support, lately.

That makes me uncomfortable: as a matter of fact, even if those emails were about low priority issues, what if I have a high priority issue?

This is the last but one email I sent, about a bug:

Autorenew swaps, when executed, and in spite of proper selecting the relevant checkbox, do NOT send confirmation email.
NOR such swap, when it closes, will send the notification email.
These two bugs have been introduced weeks ago (before, the system behaved correctly, sending the relevant emails).

And in the last one email, as a feedback, I suggested some features to be implemented, i.e.

1. Chat support
2. Prompt reply to customer emails
3. Prompt solution to bugs
4. Accept SEPA deposits
5. Price to be shown with two digits (instead of one only) after the dot (e.g. in Exchange tab)

Hopefully someone by the company will address my concerns, here?

Hi there, what is your email or username so I can look for your message? I will see what is going on, and try to resolve it for you.

In response to your suggestions:
1. Good idea, I've thought of that myself
2. The vast majority of emails are responded to within 24 hours, and most within an hour. They are prioritized by severity, so people locked out of their account, or who think they may have had their password compromised are taken care of ASAP.
3. We currently have very high turnaround on bug fixes, usually same day.
4. We are looking into SEPA, but that is primarily for euros, and we are also looking into a BTC/Euro pair
5. In order to show as many digits as you like in the order book, click the "+" symbol in the top of the order book, you can aggregate the levels to as many decimal places as you like.

Here is an example of the last suggestion in action:
http://imgur.com/a/yt093

(you can make it display more or less decimal places, i just included 3 as an example)

Anyway, let me know the information and I will look into it.

Actually I think it is much better for us to set a preference on the default number of decimal displayed. Because I need to click the "+" button every time I refreshed the page.

[DoubleSwapper]

4. We are looking into SEPA, but that is primarily for euros, and we are also looking into a BTC/Euro pair

Please, please do that. It would be a great relief for Euro users to be able to trade in Euro and if possible also use SEPA. International wire transfer is such a pain in the ass.

[noggin-scratcher]

4. We are looking into SEPA, but that is primarily for euros, and we are also looking into a BTC/Euro pair

I know it's unlikely but if you found a way to hook into the UK's banking systems with BACS or 'Faster Payments' then I would love you guys forever. Withdrawing out of 'finex turns into a costly endeavour when you get stung by a crappy retail-bank currency conversion rate on all funds received in non-Sterling. But it seems like whispering "Bitcoin" anywhere within a mile of a bank is enough to get your account closed.

Hell, even if you were just able to offer a better USD/GBP rate on the way into a standard wire transfer.

[jabetizo]

4. We are looking into SEPA, but that is primarily for euros, and we are also looking into a BTC/Euro pair

Please, please do that. It would be a great relief for Euro users to be able to trade in Euro and if possible also use SEPA. International wire transfer is such a pain in the ass.

Seconded. Also, it would be great for swap providers whose home currency is EUR to be able to offer swaps in EUR.

[Dalmar]

4. We are looking into SEPA, but that is primarily for euros, and we are also looking into a BTC/Euro pair

USD can travel over SEPA for free between multi-currency EU bank accounts.

You can accept SEPA without having a Euro trading pair, like what Bitstamp does.

It would save European customers money and time. Please consider it!

[grappa_barricata]

websocket api will be much appreciated

[teyasio]

Anyone else keep receiving swaps when you're not manually taking them.  This keeps happening to me. 

[leen93]

Hi!
I'm wondering how safe it is to place a few 1000 btc on bitfinex, could bitfinex just close down and run away with everything?