Without drug trading sites there would be no Bitcoin

[jongameson]

or it would only be worth 0.000001.  Now lets think for a second

And think of how many Non-drug reasons to buy bitcoin we can
and tell our friends!

drive the price up to $1 MILLION

[OnkelPaul]

Starting from incorrect assumptions you can come to arbitrary conclusions.
So what?

Onkel Paul

[guybrushthreepwood]

Without drug trading sites there would be no Bitcoin

I don't think that's true, but the black market use did help and quicken its rise, and the publicity - good or bad - from the use on Silk Road etc did bring it into the mainstream's attention.

[willids]

I disagree, the drug trade is not running the bitcoin market, it is the black market and underground trades which brought it the peoples attention which has seen a boom in the price of hardware to mine.

[proinside]

Well, silk road and other illegal market did have an impact on bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as such. However, I dont believe that they would be useless without.
They simply improved the velocity of crypto growth.

[hilariousandco]

Without drug trading sites there would be no Bitcoin

I don't think that's true, but the black market use did help and quicken its rise, and the publicity - good or bad - from the use on Silk Road etc did bring it into the mainstream's attention.

This is exactly it. Any publicity is good publicity. All we need is the mainstream's attention, and the benefits of cryptocurrencies will become self-evident.

Well, silk road and other illegal market did have an impact on bitcoin and cryptocurrencies as such. However, I dont believe that they would be useless without.
They simply improved the velocity of crypto growth.

Also true. Without Bitcoins use in SR it definitely would've had a slower growth.

[lrissman]

Is this a similar discussion to how the adult industry helped bring about many popular (and now not so popular) technologies?

http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/5052/is-the-pornography-industry-important-in-the-adoption-of-new-technology-or-media

Ie, print, vhs, dvd, etc.

[hilariousandco]

Is this a similar discussion to how the adult industry helped bring about many popular (and now not so popular) technologies?

http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/5052/is-the-pornography-industry-important-in-the-adoption-of-new-technology-or-media

Ie, print, vhs, dvd, etc.

Yeah, it's very similar. The argument of Bitcoin being used for nefarious/unscrupulous purposes is also a mute one. You can buy all the illegal stuff and more with fiat money anyway.

[Gersics.com]

or it would only be worth 0.000001.  Now lets think for a second

And think of how many Non-drug reasons to buy bitcoin we can
and tell our friends!

drive the price up to $1 MILLION

Ohh, you're so wrong with that!
Bitcoin is the Future for fast&secure ePayment!

Not the Drug Trading Sites raised the Rate.

[proinside]

Bitcoin is the Future for fast&secure ePayment!

Not the Drug Trading Sites raised the Rate.

Not agreeing, sha256 is far to unsecure for this being the future of payment...

[guybrushthreepwood]

Is this a similar discussion to how the adult industry helped bring about many popular (and now not so popular) technologies?

http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/5052/is-the-pornography-industry-important-in-the-adoption-of-new-technology-or-media

Ie, print, vhs, dvd, etc.

OMG ban DVDS and VHS and cash! 

It will be interesting to see what would happen to the value of another altcoin if Silk Road or some other black market site started accepting them.

[RodeoX]

What evidence is there that bitcoin is more likely to be used in a drug sale than the $USD?

[guybrushthreepwood]

What evidence is there that bitcoin is more likely to be used in a drug sale than the $USD?

There is none. Just look at all the destruction and vice you can buy with the $: guns and bombs and drugs and porn and sex and hitmen etc etc. Far easier to procure those things with fiat than it is crypto.

[pRob3]

BitCoin is the future and we are in the future. 
It won't be long before more stores who don't need to hide in the dark will accept Bitcoins and then it will go boom again.

[qosmio]

And  cash is most anonymous,  I can buy anything with it and no traces left.

[Kenshin]

If you look at Coinmap. You will need many reason why Bitcoin can do well without drug trading site.

[Kenshin]

And  cash is most anonymous,  I can buy anything with it and no traces left.

Actually your fingerprints are on it.

[guybrushthreepwood]

And  cash is most anonymous,  I can buy anything with it and no traces left.

Actually your fingerprints are on it.

Not if you wear gloves . Serial numbers could be traced as well.

[Wickedr]

I really have to agree. Those darkweb sites helped a lot create popularity.
Those were literally first popular places where you could buy physical things with bitcoin and that helped creating a real value to bitcoin.

[babeq]

Bitcoin can be use to transfer big ammounts of cash with just a little fee. Not just drugs are payd by it. Ppl could be pay bills or rent a house.