Are Bitcoins Martial Law Proof?

[Mike Jones]

If the government shuts down a good portion of internet service throughout the US, will my Bitcoins still be waiting for me when things come back online?

[runlinux]

yup.

[notme]

There are thousands of copies of the blockchain in other countries.

[goodlord666]

Are you anticipating martial law?

[Mike Jones]

Are you anticipating martial law?

http://theintelhub.com/2012/08/01/government-silently-positions-for-martial-law-as-financial-collapse-arrives-in-america/

[Gabi]

Europe here, i have the full blockchain, don't worry 

[adamstgBit]

Are you anticipating martial law?

http://theintelhub.com/2012/08/01/government-silently-positions-for-martial-law-as-financial-collapse-arrives-in-america/

Just move to Canada.

[Mike Jones]

Europe here, i have the full blockchain, don't worry 

Thank you. 

[AndrewBUD]

oh great some igloo jokes


I can throw a stone across a river and hit an american

[bbit]

better question is will my paper bill bitcoins still be worth something if the blockchain is never fired back up ?  would you still be willing to trade with me ? 

[wareen]

better question is will my paper bill bitcoins still be worth something if the blockchain is never fired back up ?  would you still be willing to trade with me ?  

What do you mean "fired back up" - a prolonged global shutdown of the Internet is extremely unlikely so the blockchain will most certainly keep growing and everybody with at least some form of Internet access would surely be willing to trade with you for your paper Bitcoins.

Oh and by the way: I've got some hashing power running completely on solar power here and a number of big antennas for long-range WiFi, so I'll do my best to help Bitcoin make it through the zombie apocalypse

[jimbobway]

Right now there are around 15000 - 17000 complete copies of the blockchain distributed around the world. Good luck in stopping that.

http://bitcoinstatus.rowit.co.uk/

I encourage bitcoin users to use the Satoshi client or any other client that downloads the full blockchain so it is stored on your comptuer.  

EDIT: Looks like we have approx 10000+ copies of the blockchain.  See below.

[punningclan]

better question is will my paper bill bitcoins still be worth something if the blockchain is never fired back up ?  would you still be willing to trade with me ? 

What do you mean "fired back up" - a prolonged global shutdown of the Internet is extremely unlikely so the blockchain will most certainly keep growing and everybody with at least some form of Internet access would surely be willing to trade with you for your paper Bitcoins.

Oh and by the way: I've got quite some hashing power running completely on solar power here and a number of big antennas for long-range WiFi, so I'll do my best to help Bitcoin make it through the zombie apocalypse

+1

I'll lend support to that!

[thebaron]

I would hope that people would set up a huge "pirate" high-wattage WiFi networks with directional antennas to connect locales.

[jimbobway]

I would hope that people would set up a huge "pirate" high-wattage WiFi networks with directional antennas to connect locales.

Supposedly, BitSyncom is working on this.  Hopefully, it is not vaporware.

[Portnoy]

I would hope that people would set up a huge "pirate" high-wattage WiFi networks with directional antennas to connect locales.

Supposedly, BitSyncom is working on this.  Hopefully, it is not vaporware.

to save someone some time searching
http://bitsyn.com/main/2012/07/the-bitsyncom-initiative

[unclemantis]

[bg002h]

Are you anticipating martial law?

http://theintelhub.com/2012/08/01/government-silently-positions-for-martial-law-as-financial-collapse-arrives-in-america/

That's a little gloomy...I hear Switzerland is nice this time of year...

[Rarity]

Your bitcoins ultimately rely on the government to maintain the electrical grid and internet infrastructure, this is one of the reasons pro-big government folks like myself like them so much.  When people use currency like gold or ammunition in the event of an emergency they can trade and barter with it freely, when we use bitcoins control of the market is in the hands of the government. 

[Mike Jones]

Your bitcoins ultimately rely on the government to maintain the electrical grid and internet infrastructure, this is one of the reasons pro-big government folks like myself like them so much.  When people use currency like gold or ammunition in the event of an emergency they can trade and barter with it freely, when we use bitcoins control of the market is in the hands of the government.  

The WWW internet infrastructure was inherited from the failed investments of interactive TV. The government had nothing to do with that.

I would know. I lost a lot of money.