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> what utility it provides that fiat currencies do not Forex (for travelers) perhaps? Technically, fiat itself does not provide exchange. you always need a bro

> what utility it provides that fiat currencies do not Forex (for travelers) perhaps? Technically, fiat itself does not provide exchange. you always need a broker or a counterparty. crypto provides liquidity that can replace a paid service (yes I know crypto also has fees). I have never owned crypto but I think it's a great idea as a currency that should have been able to compete with paypal/credit cards, but somehow didn't. I think that's its greatest failure: the fact that 12 years later I can't buy a sandwich with it.

philwelch 3y ago
If all you're buying is sandwiches, you don't need crypto. Crypto is for when you buy things that are a lot more interesting than sandwiches :)
- gosub100 3y ago
  If I'm selling sandwiches, I could make a lot more if I accept an alternative payment with the same convenience as credit but lower tx fees. Privacy conscious buyers may prefer crypto than a bank that sells their purchases to advertisers.
generic92034 3y ago
Maybe rather than seeing it as _a_ currency we could see it a special purpose currency for money exchange? A transport medium? If you are trying to keep your coin over a longer period of time you suffer the high volatility and are at the whims of gamblers. But if it is only used to perform a money transaction which otherwise would not be possible/too expensive/too dangerous, only to be exchanged against a fiat currency immediately after, that could be its role.
rco8786 3y ago
> Forex (for travelers) perhaps? Again, we're talking real world. Have you ever travelled abroad and used BTC to buy something? Has anyone you know ever done that?
- EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 3y ago
  I did. Used to refill my eqyptian sim card at bitrefill.io. Much cheaper and easier than go search for refill card at merchants all looking to rob a touristo.
- gosub100 3y ago
  so the goalposts just moved from "having utility" to "myself-or-someone-I-personally-know got utility from it"? > travelled abroad and used BTC to buy something not the scenario I described. Forex is short for foreign exchange. as in, exchanging to local fiat.
  - rco8786 3y ago
    What, no. The goalpost were always “real world utility”. Real world.

philwelch 3y ago

If all you're buying is sandwiches, you don't need crypto. Crypto is for when you buy things that are a lot more interesting than sandwiches :)

gosub100 3y ago
If I'm selling sandwiches, I could make a lot more if I accept an alternative payment with the same convenience as credit but lower tx fees. Privacy conscious buyers may prefer crypto than a bank that sells their purchases to advertisers.

generic92034 3y ago

Maybe rather than seeing it as _a_ currency we could see it a special purpose currency for money exchange? A transport medium? If you are trying to keep your coin over a longer period of time you suffer the high volatility and are at the whims of gamblers. But if it is only used to perform a money transaction which otherwise would not be possible/too expensive/too dangerous, only to be exchanged against a fiat currency immediately after, that could be its role.

rco8786 3y ago

> Forex (for travelers) perhaps? Again, we're talking real world. Have you ever travelled abroad and used BTC to buy something? Has anyone you know ever done that?

EVa5I7bHFq9mnYK 3y ago
I did. Used to refill my eqyptian sim card at bitrefill.io. Much cheaper and easier than go search for refill card at merchants all looking to rob a touristo.
gosub100 3y ago
so the goalposts just moved from "having utility" to "myself-or-someone-I-personally-know got utility from it"? > travelled abroad and used BTC to buy something not the scenario I described. Forex is short for foreign exchange. as in, exchanging to local fiat.
- rco8786 3y ago
  What, no. The goalpost were always “real world utility”. Real world.