Can bitcoin survive without the Internet?

[cryptofan5]

What if someone (governments together with banks) would decide to shut down the Internet? Would bitcoin survive? Is it possible to transfer directly p2p somehow? Any thoughts? How strong this whole industry is really?

[KimNam]

What if someone (governments together with banks) would decide to shut down the Internet? Would bitcoin survive? Is it possible to transfer directly p2p somehow? Any thoughts? How strong this whole industry is really?

using radio waves?
http://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/2ajrmg/nick_szabo_reliable_secure_p2p_broadcast_crucial/
ii saw someone post that link before

[STAyre]

No, they won't. Without the internet bitcoins will have no chance to survive because they can't move, be used and become famous.

[superbd]

In my opinion bitcoin are exist just because of internet and when you shut down the internet bitcoin community will disappear.

[dothebeats]

Bitcoins wouldn't survive without the internet because it is one of the media in which bitcoins move. However, the possibility of banks and governments shutting down the internet is very slim, as it will also affect their own interests.

[LightningBlade]

I don't think bitcoin can survive without internet, bitcoin is E-currency afterall..

[Swordsoffreedom]

We have greater concerns if the internet is broke
That said pretty sure full nodes would retain a copy so there would still be backups all over the world for when the internet comes back on
(Unless the government did MAD or something)
Then ... were back in the stone age.
(Technically 1940 technologies pre transitor that use vacumn tubes)

[HarmonLi]

Well the 'Internet' is merely a concept of an interconnection of computers. Bitcoin needs that interconnection, whether it is called the 'Internet' or something else. Right now, in its current form, it definitely needs the protocols of the Internet as we know it!

[Xch4ng3]

Of course it will, we'll just run really long RJ-45 cables from computer to computer and create our own Internet. It's a bit like file sharing, WAN connections only made it easier but if people really wanted to share files they would find another way around it no matter what, even if it means giving someone 5000 floppy disks with .RAR archives.

[jambola2]

Of course it will, we'll just run really long RJ-45 cables from computer to computer and create our own Internet. It's a bit like file sharing, WAN connections only made it easier but if people really wanted to share files they would find another way around it no matter what, even if it means giving someone 5000 floppy disks with .RAR archives.

That would be "our own" Internet , but the Internet nonetheless.

Bitcoin can survive with any form of the Internet , but not without the Internet.

The Internet does not refer to it in its exact form , but to the idea behind it. Whatever happens , Bitcoin needs a global connection of computers to work.

[powerguy]

I agree bitcoin needs internet to survive but maybe the internet of tomorrow will be different from the internet of today

[techman]

Bitcoin and internet will grow together..

[gondel]

What if someone (governments together with banks) would decide to shut down the Internet? Would bitcoin survive? Is it possible to transfer directly p2p somehow? Any thoughts? How strong this whole industry is really?

If some government ban the internet. I am sure that it will be the most used think as it is not legal. Lot of people are attracted to somethings like drugs just, because their are not legal and looking interesting.
Of course there will be Bitcoin not in the same condition as it is right now. People will connect true wires.
So dont worry about such things for now
BR

[lihuajkl]

Impossible to shut down the Internet by gov and banks. Internet is necessity of our daily life for any of us even the gov and banks. it is like the bus or train we need everyday. If the gov or banks don't like btc, they can ban btc easily. It has nothing to do with Internet.

[BTCreward]

I don't think it would be possible to shut down the internet. All the internet is, is a bunch of servers that are connected to each other by really long wires. The protocol for the servers to "talk" to each other is standardized but this standardization is not controlled by the government. In short the internet is too decentralized to be shut down.

If however the internet was somehow shutdown then no bitcoin would not be able to survive with some alternate way to broadcast the block chain

[Daniel91]

Can bitcoin survive without the Internet?
I think not but I don't think that is realistic that any government, even USa, will shut down Internet.
No reason for this because they can very easily control Internet and spy us.
If they decide to block bitcoin they can do this without closing Internet.

[btc2day.cz]

What about directly communicating from cell phone to cell phone? transmitting bitcoins that way.

[madken7777]

What about directly communicating from cell phone to cell phone? transmitting bitcoins that way.

Cell phone to cell phone communication relied on internet infrastructure.

[screwUdriver]

What about directly communicating from cell phone to cell phone? transmitting bitcoins that way.

I think this would technically be internet access.

If you are talking about a true P2P cell phone communication setup then all the "nodes" would not be able to connect to eachother as there is not a dense enough population throughout the entire world and sending payments overseas would not be possible.

[williamj2543]

I'm pretty sure shutting down the internet would cause bigger problems...