[Video Interview] Kenna and Shrem @ Future of Money Summit

[Jered Kenna (TradeHill)]

What? maybe a million people are using it...? ehh wut?
Where do you get these numbers, the statistics sites show about 100k active nodes daily, i assume most are the same each time... And i highly doubt there's 900k people using ewallets or whatever...

Have used it not are using it. It's really hard to estimate, the numbers are all over the place.
There's a lot of people that have downloaded the client or sent 1 btc then never used it again and they've still tried it.
If there is 100k active a day (didn't think it's that high at the moment) then there are a lot more than 100k that have tried it.

I liked that interview, bummer the camera was tilted and you can't see Charlie for half of it.

Jered

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[Stephen Gornick]

What? maybe a million people are using it...? ehh wut?
Where do you get these numbers, the statistics sites show about 100k active nodes daily,

It is impossible to know how many users as some have an account at an exchange or EWallet only and never show as their own node nor even have a balance on a bitcoin address that could be considered.

Incidentally, there were 642,432 addresses with non-zero balance, as of a recent block:

 - http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/3524/how-many-unspent-transaction-outputs-are-there

That number alone doesn't say much but its change over time will help to indicate the level of growth occurring.

That number has been increasing at about 3% per month.  If the user population growth is at the same level that's about a 40% annual growth rate.

It's not inconceivable to think that in the year or so that Bitcoin started to be discussed in the tech arena that there have been a million people that signed up, and got a payment from the Faucet, for instance or made a small investment that remains on an exchange, for instance. 

The number of transactions on the blockchain show a much smaller active user base though.  Fortunately, that too is growing (and at a faster rate even)

[giszmo]

charged addresses: merging addresses reduces anonymity so why would people consider addresses staying constant for a constant user count?

[Stephen Gornick]

charged addresses: merging addresses reduces anonymity so why would people consider addresses staying constant for a constant user count?

When spending the client chooses coins so that the combination resulting in the least amount of change is the result.  (Ignoring special case, like coins that haven't confirmed yet).    Oftentimes this will "merge" coins whether that was the intention or not.

So an active user will generally not have much growth to the number of addresses over time even though each payment received is to a different address.  The ones that save without spending are the ones who will end up with many addresses holding unspent coins.

But you are correct, it is really hard to have any assurance that an estimate based on data like "addresses with unspent coins" is anywhere near accurate.

[blueadept]

Please tell them about the big surprise! I'm about to explode but won't say anything. It's epic!

This one? http://www.thebitcointrader.com/2012/04/bitinstant-hints-at-new-contract.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hate to bump almost a month later but has there been any progress on this? It seemed really exciting and then I heard nothing more about it.

[Yankee (BitInstant)]

Please tell them about the big surprise! I'm about to explode but won't say anything. It's epic!

This one? http://www.thebitcointrader.com/2012/04/bitinstant-hints-at-new-contract.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hate to bump almost a month later but has there been any progress on this? It seemed really exciting and then I heard nothing more about it.

Actually yes, we should be launching it within 72 hours if all goes well 

[SgtSpike]

Please tell them about the big surprise! I'm about to explode but won't say anything. It's epic!

This one? http://www.thebitcointrader.com/2012/04/bitinstant-hints-at-new-contract.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hate to bump almost a month later but has there been any progress on this? It seemed really exciting and then I heard nothing more about it.

Actually yes, we should be launching it within 72 hours if all goes well 

Wow, cool.  Define "launching"?

[Yankee (BitInstant)]

Please tell them about the big surprise! I'm about to explode but won't say anything. It's epic!

This one? http://www.thebitcointrader.com/2012/04/bitinstant-hints-at-new-contract.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hate to bump almost a month later but has there been any progress on this? It seemed really exciting and then I heard nothing more about it.

Actually yes, we should be launching it within 72 hours if all goes well 

Wow, cool.  Define "launching"?

I just realized there is one small change we need to do which shouldnt take more than half a day.

Having said that, we have a few things to finish up- hence the reason I gave myself a 3 day time frame.

Test in a live environment, do a physical test, make sure its aesthetically pleasing, do some stress tests, and I think we are good to go.

It was a long project, took alot of contracts, down payments, late nights, brining on another full time programmer and full time attorney, but I think we got this shit ready.

I've already said more then I should 

[rjk]

Please tell them about the big surprise! I'm about to explode but won't say anything. It's epic!

This one? http://www.thebitcointrader.com/2012/04/bitinstant-hints-at-new-contract.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hate to bump almost a month later but has there been any progress on this? It seemed really exciting and then I heard nothing more about it.

Actually yes, we should be launching it within 72 hours if all goes well 

Wow, cool.  Define "launching"?

I just realized there is one small change we need to do which shouldnt take more than half a day.

Having said that, we have a few things to finish up- hence the reason I gave myself a 3 day time frame.

Test in a live environment, do a physical test, make sure its aesthetically pleasing, do some stress tests, and I think we are good to go.

It was a long project, took alot of contracts, down payments, late nights, brining on another full time programmer and full time attorney, but I think we got this shit ready.

I've already said more then I should 

So like... is it this bitcoin card thingy? Because that would be nice to get out on the streets asap. Otherwise, I'll wait and see, I guess.

[giszmo]

Will it work with Entel in Chile?

[Yankee (BitInstant)]

Please tell them about the big surprise! I'm about to explode but won't say anything. It's epic!

This one? http://www.thebitcointrader.com/2012/04/bitinstant-hints-at-new-contract.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hate to bump almost a month later but has there been any progress on this? It seemed really exciting and then I heard nothing more about it.

Actually yes, we should be launching it within 72 hours if all goes well 

Wow, cool.  Define "launching"?

I just realized there is one small change we need to do which shouldnt take more than half a day.

Having said that, we have a few things to finish up- hence the reason I gave myself a 3 day time frame.

Test in a live environment, do a physical test, make sure its aesthetically pleasing, do some stress tests, and I think we are good to go.

It was a long project, took alot of contracts, down payments, late nights, brining on another full time programmer and full time attorney, but I think we got this shit ready.

I've already said more then I should 

So like... is it this bitcoin card thingy? Because that would be nice to get out on the streets asap. Otherwise, I'll wait and see, I guess.

No, it's not the Bitcoin Card.

Will it work with Entel in Chile?

Not yet, but it will include Boleto in Brazil.

[SgtSpike]

Please tell them about the big surprise! I'm about to explode but won't say anything. It's epic!

This one? http://www.thebitcointrader.com/2012/04/bitinstant-hints-at-new-contract.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hate to bump almost a month later but has there been any progress on this? It seemed really exciting and then I heard nothing more about it.

Actually yes, we should be launching it within 72 hours if all goes well 

Wow, cool.  Define "launching"?

I just realized there is one small change we need to do which shouldnt take more than half a day.

Having said that, we have a few things to finish up- hence the reason I gave myself a 3 day time frame.

Test in a live environment, do a physical test, make sure its aesthetically pleasing, do some stress tests, and I think we are good to go.

It was a long project, took alot of contracts, down payments, late nights, brining on another full time programmer and full time attorney, but I think we got this shit ready.

I've already said more then I should 

So, by launching, you mean, being ready to begin production to pass off to Walmart?

Basically, what I am after is, when will we begin to see the cards in Walmart?

[Yankee (BitInstant)]

Please tell them about the big surprise! I'm about to explode but won't say anything. It's epic!

This one? http://www.thebitcointrader.com/2012/04/bitinstant-hints-at-new-contract.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hate to bump almost a month later but has there been any progress on this? It seemed really exciting and then I heard nothing more about it.

Actually yes, we should be launching it within 72 hours if all goes well 

Wow, cool.  Define "launching"?

I just realized there is one small change we need to do which shouldnt take more than half a day.

Having said that, we have a few things to finish up- hence the reason I gave myself a 3 day time frame.

Test in a live environment, do a physical test, make sure its aesthetically pleasing, do some stress tests, and I think we are good to go.

It was a long project, took alot of contracts, down payments, late nights, brining on another full time programmer and full time attorney, but I think we got this shit ready.

I've already said more then I should 

So, by launching, you mean, being ready to begin production to pass off to Walmart?

Basically, what I am after is, when will we begin to see the cards in Walmart?

The system is already built and tested in Walmart and our other partners, nothing more they need to do.

Also, I mentioned earlier there are no cards.

[SgtSpike]

Please tell them about the big surprise! I'm about to explode but won't say anything. It's epic!

This one? http://www.thebitcointrader.com/2012/04/bitinstant-hints-at-new-contract.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

I hate to bump almost a month later but has there been any progress on this? It seemed really exciting and then I heard nothing more about it.

Actually yes, we should be launching it within 72 hours if all goes well 

Wow, cool.  Define "launching"?

I just realized there is one small change we need to do which shouldnt take more than half a day.

Having said that, we have a few things to finish up- hence the reason I gave myself a 3 day time frame.

Test in a live environment, do a physical test, make sure its aesthetically pleasing, do some stress tests, and I think we are good to go.

It was a long project, took alot of contracts, down payments, late nights, brining on another full time programmer and full time attorney, but I think we got this shit ready.

I've already said more then I should 

So, by launching, you mean, being ready to begin production to pass off to Walmart?

Basically, what I am after is, when will we begin to see the cards in Walmart?

The system is already built and tested in Walmart and our other partners, nothing more they need to do.

Also, I mentioned earlier there are no cards.

Oh, interesting...