POLL: Is Bitcoin for EVERYONE or just a new ELITE? Vote!

[Possum577]

Voted for elite only. I don't like this, but this is the reality. Cca 90% of the world population are unable to use it and 90% of the internet users doesn't really care. If you take a look at the BTC distribution you will see that most coins are concentrated in very few hands. These factors are inevitably going to lead (or already led) to the formulation of a small elite who owns most bitcoins.

You have a point, the term "elite" can be defined in a couple of different dimensions. I think what the OP was going for was whether Bitcoin for the 1%ers or the most powerful or the well off in the developed nations only. On the face of it bitcoin is available to almost everyone in this world, provided they have:

• Access to the internet (via pc, phone, etc.)
• Access to ANY amount of fiat currency, even the smallest denomination of the weakest fiat currency can buy you some bitcoin

It might be up to us, the bitcoin community, to ensure that access to the system remains available to as many people as possible so we don't run into the same debt cycle issues we have with fiat.

[Snail2]

Voted for elite only. I don't like this, but this is the reality.

This is why the question in the poll says “should be”, not “is”.

"Should" doesn't really mean anything when the game is already over . ...and like it or not, this game is already over. Without a very substantial investment nobody can reverse the "trend". Who can make such an investment...?

[R2D221]

...and like it or not, this game is already over.

I don't see what makes you think so. Anyone can start using Bitcoin. There's nothing stopping them, except the fact that they don't know about it.

[BootstrapCoinDev]

Having bitcoins offshore, secret and unreachable will cause unintelligent people to sell for a loss, thus making the new wealthy elite the master intelligence race. I hope in 10 years all today posters if not handing all money over to the shorters can be considered as elite.

[Snail2]

You have a point, the term "elite" can be defined in a couple of different dimensions. I think what the OP was going for was whether Bitcoin for the 1%ers or the most powerful or the well off in the developed nations only. On the face of it bitcoin is available to almost everyone in this world, provided they have:

• Access to the internet (via pc, phone, etc.)
• Access to ANY amount of fiat currency, even the smallest denomination of the weakest fiat currency can buy you some bitcoin

It might be up to us, the bitcoin community, to ensure that access to the system remains available to as many people as possible so we don't run into the same debt cycle issues we have with fiat.

I see your point but I'm afraid it's already too late. Maybe I'm wrong but I often feel that the whole BTC universe is controlled and manipulated by a few whales. But perhaps this is just paranoia .

[Snail2]

...and like it or not, this game is already over.

I don't see what makes you think so. Anyone can start using Bitcoin. There's nothing stopping them, except the fact that they don't know about it.

Yes, anyone can start using it, but please don't forget that the large majority of the world population getting something between 17-200 (no mistyping that's really seventeen) USD per month. You can find (at least one) such countries even in Europe where 1 BTC at current rate worth more than a monthly average salary. I have some doubts about how these ppl can get into bitcoin.

[R2D221]

Yes, anyone can start using it, but please don't forget that the large majority of the world population getting something between 17-200 (no mistyping that's really seventeen) USD per month. You can find (at least one) such countries even in Europe where 1 BTC at current rate worth more than a monthly average salary. I have some doubts about how these ppl can get into bitcoin.

If Bitcoin becomes the world currency, then there will be people with, for example, 17-200 microbitcoins. I don't see that changing anytime soon, but, by definition, those people will be using Bitcoin as well as everybody else.

Some people believe that Bitcoin is the solution to world poverty. I don't know where these people got that idea in the first place.

[Snail2]

If Bitcoin becomes the world currency, then there will be people with, for example, 17-200 microbitcoins. I don't see that changing anytime soon, but, by definition, those people will be using Bitcoin as well as everybody else.

Some people believe that Bitcoin is the solution to world poverty. I don't know where these people got that idea in the first place.

I'm trying to imagine as someone with 17-200 microbitcoins paying the 0.0001 BTC transaction fees after each transaction. Parallel I'm trying to imagine as we are trying to persuade the miners to accept lower fees... especially after one or two halving

I second that. Bitcoin is a payment protocol not a remedy for inequalities.

[gentlemand]

...and like it or not, this game is already over.

I don't see what makes you think so. Anyone can start using Bitcoin. There's nothing stopping them, except the fact that they don't know about it.

Yes, anyone can start using it, but please don't forget that the large majority of the world population getting something between 17-200 (no mistyping that's really seventeen) USD per month. You can find (at least one) such countries even in Europe where 1 BTC at current rate worth more than a monthly average salary. I have some doubts about how these ppl can get into bitcoin.

By buying a little bit? Anyone can do it if they really want to.

Some people believe that Bitcoin is the solution to world poverty. I don't know where these people got that idea in the first place.

It does have the potential to open up areas to online commerce that weren't previously possible. That has the potential to snowball.

[OROBTC]

...

I voted "Everyone".  As far as technology allows (and assuming "everyone" includes those with enough literacy and numeracy so they know how), yes, of course everyone should be welcome.  That would give Bitcoinistan more liquidity as well.

Although I was very tempted to vote myself into The Elite too.   

[R2D221]

I'm trying to imagine as someone with 17-200 microbitcoins paying the 0.0001 BTC transaction fees after each transaction.

You're trying wrong. If Bitcoin is a world currency, then the transaction fee would be 1 satoshi, not 0.0001 BTC.

[R2D221]

Some people believe that Bitcoin is the solution to world poverty. I don't know where these people got that idea in the first place.

It does have the potential to open up areas to online commerce that weren't previously possible. That has the potential to snowball.

Yes, but it's not the purpose of Bitcoin to end poverty. It would be a side effect.

[kpitti]

I choose Everyone because this is my understanding of Bitcoin basic principle. To be for everyone, open and free.
I do not know who should be that Elite or New Elite - I did not understand that.

[Arghhh]

Bitcoin is for everyone, but the early adopters will be the new elites.

The either-or dichotomy in the poll is asinine.

[Bralex]

I choose Everyone because this is my understanding of Bitcoin basic principle. To be for everyone, open and free.
I do not know who should be that Elite or New Elite - I did not understand that.

I also voted everyone because it is anyone can go and buy bitcoin most of the time whether that is p2p or on a exchange. People either do not know or choose not to care but in the end they will, of course along the way bitcoin is going to make some wealthy elite just as the internet did but it will not be many and that does not mean it is just for them either.

[manselr]

I'm trying to imagine as someone with 17-200 microbitcoins paying the 0.0001 BTC transaction fees after each transaction.

You're trying wrong. If Bitcoin is a world currency, then the transaction fee would be 1 satoshi, not 0.0001 BTC.

True , since in theory fee would scale with price increase as more and more people mine and network becomes stronger as well. Everything fits in. Satoshi is a legitimate genius.

[okthen]

Bitcoin is for everyone!
Though it might have made the first to adopt it a new wealthy elite.

[Slaxt]

Bitcoin is for everyone!
Though it might have made the first to adopt it a new wealthy elite.

To me that sounds back to front, to start with it was created and cheap so everyone could adopt it easily in the process it will have created a few wealthy elite who got extremely lucky. It is still for most but it has cut out alot of 3rd world country's so i would not say for everyone but it is for most who want to be involved

[futureofbitcoin]

This is an interesting question. I think that currently, bitcoin is for "just a new elite". That said, I think the only way for bitcoin to really take off is for bitcoin to be accessible to everyone.

There are so many obstacles currently for people to obtain a bitcoin, especially if you're not in a really well developed country. I live in Canada, but I'm in China for a few months now. I can't even register in most, if not all exchanges because I don't have a Canadian cellphone number or address right now. It's completely stupid. I'd buy 15k worth of bitcoins, but I can't even do that right now. For bitcoin to succeed, it needs to be easily accessible to everyone. Currently, that's not the case.

[micky123]

Poor Satoshi's aka Nick Szabo's dream was that Bitcoin should be embraced and used by the masses. Unfortunately, just like everything that is finite in this world, the elitists seem to be busy centralizing the currency. Anyone with a huge amount of resources can easily play the market atm. For all you know it could be the US govt. that is manipulating the price of Bitcoin or maybe some big banking cartels. All they seek to do is create confusion in the minds of the general public. Not just this, the huge set of scams that seem to dog bitcoin also seemsto be fabricated by these cartels who see bitcoin as a real threat to the fiat monetary system and are afraid that mass adoption will lead to people losing faith in the fake fiat monetary system that is present atm. I still believe that Bitcoin should be for everyone and that people should look at btc not as an investment vehicle, but as a a currency.