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So while I'm not versed enough in the crypto-space to comment on your first two points, I'd like to agree _Heartily_ about point 3, "Ease of use in the cryptocu

So while I'm not versed enough in the crypto-space to comment on your first two points, I'd like to agree _Heartily_ about point 3, "Ease of use in the cryptocurrency world is something of a joke..." (And if that's why you're being greyed, that's dumb.) As a "dumb user" I went to buy some crypto after the initial crash last winter. I found that: Most exchanges do not permit use in my state (Washington). Of those that did, Coinbase/GDAX ended up having technical issues, leading me on for months of useless support tickets, before blackholing me entirely, and once I finally obtained some eth on gemini, diversifying it into a handful of altcoins required yet-another "exchange search", learning how to do some very sketchy wallet transfers, and using MUCH less trusted exchanges that actually allowed my state and the pairings I needed. (And if I want to liquidate my position, I have to basically invert this whole mess of a flow.) I very well could be going about this in a dumb way, or it could have improved, thus this post (in that someone can feel free to correct me). My perception is that ease of use is in fact a joke, and if crypto wants to become a thing for "Boring Normal People" it needs to fix that.

ur-whale 8y ago
I think you have to separate: - hard to use because governments willfully get in the way - intrinsically hard to use. The former is very easy to get around (it kind of being the point of cryptocurrencies in the first place). The latter is a real hard problem for crypto that will require an entire generation to die off (those who can't understand and will never understand that using a 3rd party to manage your money isn't compulsory or even desirable anymore) before things evolve.
- cannonedhamster 8y ago
  The problems with crypto-currencies being widely adopted are the same as the benefits. While people who understand the benefits like it, the same could be said for cash, which is widely going away and had far better adoption. 1. Loss aversion - You lose your bitcoin wallet you lose everything. You can't have that with large amounts of money or you'll bankrupt people. 2. Anonymity - Thieves can steal money, and to get it back you have to expose yourself and claim the money, if you're lucky enough to get it back at all. Governments can also very easily track users. 3. Decentralized - You have no one single person to punish when things go wrong, or seek help from. You're alone just like everyone else.
- Nursie 8y ago
  > The latter is a real hard problem for crypto that will require an entire generation to die off (those who can't understand and will never understand that using a 3rd party to manage your money isn't compulsory or even desirable anymore) before things evolve. This is not a description of why cryptocurrency is intrinsically hard to use. It's intrinsically hard to use because - - It requires insane levels of OpSec to keep safe - It can be sent to the wrong place with a typo, and never recovered - Its transactions are irreversible, this is not a feature for most users - The fees are opaque and variable - Transaction processing can take an arbitrary amount of time It's not that people 'don't understand' that using a 3rd party is unnecessary, it's that these third parties provide a lot of valuable services. The use of cryptocurrency is a marked step backwards from the existing situation for most scenarios.

ur-whale 8y ago

I think you have to separate: - hard to use because governments willfully get in the way - intrinsically hard to use. The former is very easy to get around (it kind of being the point of cryptocurrencies in the first place). The latter is a real hard problem for crypto that will require an entire generation to die off (those who can't understand and will never understand that using a 3rd party to manage your money isn't compulsory or even desirable anymore) before things evolve.

cannonedhamster 8y ago
The problems with crypto-currencies being widely adopted are the same as the benefits. While people who understand the benefits like it, the same could be said for cash, which is widely going away and had far better adoption. 1. Loss aversion - You lose your bitcoin wallet you lose everything. You can't have that with large amounts of money or you'll bankrupt people. 2. Anonymity - Thieves can steal money, and to get it back you have to expose yourself and claim the money, if you're lucky enough to get it back at all. Governments can also very easily track users. 3. Decentralized - You have no one single person to punish when things go wrong, or seek help from. You're alone just like everyone else.
Nursie 8y ago
> The latter is a real hard problem for crypto that will require an entire generation to die off (those who can't understand and will never understand that using a 3rd party to manage your money isn't compulsory or even desirable anymore) before things evolve. This is not a description of why cryptocurrency is intrinsically hard to use. It's intrinsically hard to use because - - It requires insane levels of OpSec to keep safe - It can be sent to the wrong place with a typo, and never recovered - Its transactions are irreversible, this is not a feature for most users - The fees are opaque and variable - Transaction processing can take an arbitrary amount of time It's not that people 'don't understand' that using a 3rd party is unnecessary, it's that these third parties provide a lot of valuable services. The use of cryptocurrency is a marked step backwards from the existing situation for most scenarios.