Can we call it MAINSTREAM? Here's why...

[Rycco]

Can we say that Bitcoin is now totally mainstream? Lots of news websites and papers talking about it, Germany regulating, countries talking about it, lots of investors, services, websites and exchanges in lots of languages.

My opinion: It's mainstream.

Discuss.

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[Carlton Banks]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

The general public behave like livestock in the West, they will only move as a pack in a single direction when you chase them in said direction (with a media sheepdog   ). Media are mostly circling the Bitcoin corner of the field, barking warnings. Luckily we have some Bitcoin-savvy wolves stalking around outside the fencing, and in the distance, the monetary stimulus fire is burning brighter and brighter. The sheep could smell the smoke from the fire for years, and now it's starting to get thick enough to make their breathing awkward. Dumbass sheep keep saying "where is this smoke all coming from?". Sheepdogs keep telling them the fire is definitely natural, not man-made. Brightside? The fence is broken in the Bitcoin corner of the field, prosperous grazing pastures await. The sheep dogs will be out of a job... tsk, how did I even keep the analogy up this long 

[FreedomCoin]

it may be mainstream but alot of MSM calls it a ponzi scheme.

[notme]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

This.

[xxjs]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

This.

Not yet. Some have heard, not enough to call it mainstream, of those, most think it is an idea that will disappear in short time, like most ideas. It is still a revolution waiting to happen.

[NewLiberty]

It has reached the Fad stage.

There are increasingly newbees showing up at Meetups with an interest and curiosity.

[altoidmintz]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

what he said

[Carlton Banks]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

This.

Not yet. Some have heard, not enough to call it mainstream, of those, most think it is an idea that will disappear in short time, like most ideas. It is still a revolution waiting to happen.

Are CNBC, The Financial Times, Der Spiegel, Fortune, The Economist, Forbes, Bloomberg, Wallstreet Journal, The Guardian NOT mainstream? I guess not.

[NewLiberty]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

This.

Not yet. Some have heard, not enough to call it mainstream, of those, most think it is an idea that will disappear in short time, like most ideas. It is still a revolution waiting to happen.

Are CNBC, The Financial Times, Der Spiegel, Fortune, The Economist, Forbes, Bloomberg, Wallstreet Journal, The Guardian NOT mainstream? I guess not.

We risk confusing journalism with adoption.
These have also written about Croc shoes, but none of them wear them.

When Bloomberg or CNBC have it on their ticker, or WSJ publishes exchange rates, then you can call it mainstream.  The articles are just that, articles.  The difference between writing and doing is vast.  They also write about the "Gold Standard" for decades.

[Carlton Banks]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

This.

Not yet. Some have heard, not enough to call it mainstream, of those, most think it is an idea that will disappear in short time, like most ideas. It is still a revolution waiting to happen.

Are CNBC, The Financial Times, Der Spiegel, Fortune, The Economist, Forbes, Bloomberg, Wallstreet Journal, The Guardian NOT mainstream? I guess not.

We risk confusing journalism with adoption.
These have also written about Croc shoes, but none of them wear them.

When Bloomberg or CNBC have it on their ticker, or WSJ publishes exchange rates, then you can call it mainstream.  The articles are just that, articles.  The difference between writing and doing is vast.  They also write about the "Gold Standard" for decades.

Well, I was specifically addressing awareness, not adoption:

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

I agree with what you're saying though. Hence why the Bloomberg Terminal ticker was fairly big news. Judging by the journalistic output, there seems to be 75/25 split in favour of the negative assessment. Fortunately, the coverage drives interest anyway; those with self-determined instincts will seek out more information, and I think that may be manifesting itself in merchant adoption and the exchange rate, but that's still a bit of an opaque insight really. Once the collective consciousness starts to get the power of cryptographically enforced properties, then we will get movement on that 75/25 number. Until then, the uninitiated will continue to flounder around in their comment articles, wondering how they can explain/denounce this trend.

[hayek]

No. For Bitcoin to hit $1000 a coin it would have to do approximately .1% of all USD transactions. Right now people all over the world use it and we're around $110 or roughly .01% of all USD transactions.

We have a long way to go

[GambleDev]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

what he said

What they said

[Patel]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

what he said

What they said

whats been said

[Rycco]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

what he said

What they said

whats been said

What it is.

[thezerg]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

what he said

no, all these articles just mean awareness in economic finance trader subcultures...

[Carlton Banks]

Mainstream awareness. Not mainstream use.

what he said

no, all these articles just mean awareness in economic finance trader subcultures...

Some truth in that, although I think you'll find that Bitcoin has even had coverage in tabloids, municipal locals, large national newspapers, a big socio-political magazine in Germany etc, and not just in the finance and economics sections of these types of publication.

[Quantus]

I been Bitcoin mining for years now and my mom still thinks I'm making it all up, my dad gets it but dose not trust anything he dose not fully understand.

I have found any one over the age of 50 has no idea what it is and will never use it willingly; 95% of women under 50 that know about it think its no different then world of Warcraft gold or online tokens for video games. Bitcoin will never be main stream. At most 5 to 10% of the world will adopt it. But it will always have a place in the world.

I would just like to add that most people don't understand the whole idea of inflation and deflation in relation to currency.

[BitChick]

I been Bitcoin mining for years now and my mom still thinks I'm making it all up, my dad gets it but dose not trust anything he dose not fully understand.

I have found any one over the age of 50 has no idea what it is and will never use it willingly; 95% of women under 50 that know about it think its no different then world of Warcraft gold or online tokens for video games. Bitcoin will never be main stream. At most 5 to 10% of the world will adopt it. But it will always have a place in the world.

I would just like to add that most people don't understand the whole idea of inflation and deflation in relation to currency.

I am a woman under 50.  I am the only one of all of my friends or family that is into Bitcoin though (besides my husband).  I think that it will become mainstream when people start using it because it is easier than just using cash.  It will happen eventually I think.  But yes, I would assume that most people think it is just something used by "geeks" and think it is a fad and have not really investigated the true value and potential that is there.  If anyone really reads up on it, they usually invest!  They would be stupid not too for the rewards definitely outweigh the risks for buying a few.

[NewLiberty]

Awareness is growing... bit by bit.  

There is a lot of curiosity.  I have found that physical objects do help some people to figure it out.  This is part of why we are making these physical silver COLD HARD CASH Bitcoin specie pieces.  For the Bitcoins in my wallet to be worth something, people have to want them....  We we find that people, and even especially women do appreciate the tangible, and the beautiful.  Women tend to control more of the spending power in the household, and they also tend to have more appreciation for Gold and Silver.

At the Libertopia Festival in San Diego this past weekend there was a lot of bitcoin curiosity and a few bitcoin experts.  This is the sweet spot for bitcoin adoption, but there was not a lot of awareness, much less actual use.  There were a whole bunch of folks there that wanted to "End The Fed", but few with a way forward.

Even among those who have bitcoin, for many it is investment more than currency.  This is the leverage point that we are working to change.  Through the whole conference, I did manage to execute a number of bitcoin transactions but it wasn't always easy.

[b!z]

It has reached the Fad stage.

There are increasingly newbees showing up at Meetups with an interest and curiosity.

New newbies make btc a fad? I think no new newbies would make btc a fad.

[Carlton Banks]

I have found any one over the age of 50 has no idea what it is and will never use it willingly; 95% of women under 50 that know about it think its no different then world of Warcraft gold or online tokens for video games. Bitcoin will never be main stream. At most 5 to 10% of the world will adopt it. But it will always have a place in the world.

Older generation don't stay that way forever, they have this habit of eventually getting so old that they die    Younger generation then become older, and are then the adults. So maybe we'll need another 10-15 years before that kind of effect takes place. We also don't need 100% adoption to thrive, we've been doing pretty well with just 0.01% to date 

[notme]

I have found any one over the age of 50 has no idea what it is and will never use it willingly; 95% of women under 50 that know about it think its no different then world of Warcraft gold or online tokens for video games. Bitcoin will never be main stream. At most 5 to 10% of the world will adopt it. But it will always have a place in the world.

Older generation don't stay that way forever, they have this habit of eventually getting so old that they die    Younger generation then become older, and are then the adults. So maybe we'll need another 10-15 years before that kind of effect takes place. We also don't need 100% adoption to thrive, we've been doing pretty well with just 0.01% to date 

I'd say 0.01% is pretty high.  I doubt active users number over a million.

[imrer]

When btc will be $1000+, you can call it mainstream.

[notme]

When btc will be $1000+, you can call it mainstream.

I'd hardly call a currency with a market cap of $11,000,000,000 mainstream.

[mirthworm]

It has reached the Fad stage.

There are increasingly newbees showing up at Meetups with an interest and curiosity.

New newbies make btc a fad? I think no new newbies would make btc a fad.

Touche!

Also, newbies are just people that got on board after you.

[NewLiberty]

When btc will be $1000+, you can call it mainstream.

I'd hardly call a currency with a market cap of $11,000,000,000 mainstream.

+1

[01BTC10]

When Bloomberg or CNBC have it on their ticker,

http://data.cnbc.com/quotes/MTGOXUSD

[NewLiberty]

When Bloomberg or CNBC have it on their ticker,

http://data.cnbc.com/quotes/MTGOXUSD

Looking forward to it being on their scrolling ticker too, but not holding my breath for that.