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> Users have the money. If there's a fork, users can value one side higher than the other and then developers and miners will follow the money. As the article

by nuerow 5y ago

> Users have the money. If there's a fork, users can value one side higher than the other and then developers and miners will follow the money. As the article shows, BTC's user side of the equation is actually controlled by a small group of investors. Thus, users like you and me have absolutely zero control or influence over the value of BTC, and are vulnerable to the manipulation done by this small group of investors. We already saw BTC's value tank to half in a matter of days. How do you explain that as being something that meets the users' best interests?

keymone 5y ago
Investors invest to increase wealth. If users stop thinking of any particular version of bitcoin as bitcoin - investors will start pulling out of it. This is not about money invested but about social consensus over which version of software is the bitcoin.
sleavey 5y ago
Bitcoin aligns incentives. It's in the interest of those with lots of bitcoin to have everyone else use the same fork, so their coins have value. This discourages bad behaviour from whales. Let's not forget that bitcoin's monetary policy is fixed. Everyone earns coins the same way as everyone else: by mining or buying. No printing of new money for example. Central banks are far bigger whales than bitcoin's given their ability to print new money on a whim.
- nuerow 5y ago
  > Bitcoin aligns incentives. It's in the interest of those with lots of bitcoin to have everyone else use the same fork, so their coins have value. This discourages bad behaviour from whales. No, not really. It is in the interests of those with lots of bitcoins to sell high and buy low. This means whales stand to profit by pumping BTC's value to leave everyone else holding the bag when it's value tanks. Rinse and repeat, and fat whales get fatter. But for this scheme to work, first you need unwitting users to fall for the promise of quick and easy fortunes at arm's reach. A tale as old as time.

by nuerow 5y ago

keymone 5y ago

Investors invest to increase wealth. If users stop thinking of any particular version of bitcoin as bitcoin - investors will start pulling out of it. This is not about money invested but about social consensus over which version of software is the bitcoin.

sleavey 5y ago

Bitcoin aligns incentives. It's in the interest of those with lots of bitcoin to have everyone else use the same fork, so their coins have value. This discourages bad behaviour from whales. Let's not forget that bitcoin's monetary policy is fixed. Everyone earns coins the same way as everyone else: by mining or buying. No printing of new money for example. Central banks are far bigger whales than bitcoin's given their ability to print new money on a whim.

nuerow 5y ago
> Bitcoin aligns incentives. It's in the interest of those with lots of bitcoin to have everyone else use the same fork, so their coins have value. This discourages bad behaviour from whales. No, not really. It is in the interests of those with lots of bitcoins to sell high and buy low. This means whales stand to profit by pumping BTC's value to leave everyone else holding the bag when it's value tanks. Rinse and repeat, and fat whales get fatter. But for this scheme to work, first you need unwitting users to fall for the promise of quick and easy fortunes at arm's reach. A tale as old as time.