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Isn't the point of bitcoin to stay anonymous? It's nice to be able to purchase it instantly, but it seems to be going against the purpose of bitcoin.

wmf 13y ago
For some people the point of Bitcoin is to get rich via speculation.
- rglullis 13y ago
  While your comment is very much true, there is some apparent snarky feel to it that seems unnecessary. In my case at least, there is no speculation element attached to bitcoin. In fact, its volatility is very detrimental. I am dividing my life and work projects between the US, Europe and Brazil. I'd love to be able to just charge people in BTC. I wouldn't lose 6-7% every time I needed to convert money from USD to BRL, or from BRL to EUR. I can't say how much easier it would be for me to report taxes... Widespread adoption of BTC could be a good thing in itself. There are other groups of people interested in bitcoin besides the "fiat must die", the silk roads and the speculators.
atom-morgan 13y ago
I'd say it depends on the person.
citricsquid 13y ago
A feature bitcoin provides is it can be "anonymous", however most bitcoin purchases and purchasers don't need anonymity. see here: http://zerocoin.org/ http://zerocoin.org/
pdog 13y ago
No. Bitcoin itself is simply a technology -- there isn't a "point" to it. Bitcoins can be anonymous if there's no information linking the transaction or public address back to you.
baddox 13y ago
Pseudo-anonymity is one point of Bitcoin, but the only feasible way to quickly acquire Bitcoins pseudo-anonymously is to buy them in person, which defeats another point of Bitcoin (it being an online currency).
bdcravens 13y ago
"the point"? no. More of a side effect, but something that alot of folks have clung to. In reality it's pseudo-anonymous, and depending on your interpretation, it's the opposite on anonymity: all transactions are conducted in the open. (the exchange of currency that is; not the underlying identity of item of value on the other side of the transaction)

wmf 13y ago

For some people the point of Bitcoin is to get rich via speculation.

rglullis 13y ago
While your comment is very much true, there is some apparent snarky feel to it that seems unnecessary. In my case at least, there is no speculation element attached to bitcoin. In fact, its volatility is very detrimental. I am dividing my life and work projects between the US, Europe and Brazil. I'd love to be able to just charge people in BTC. I wouldn't lose 6-7% every time I needed to convert money from USD to BRL, or from BRL to EUR. I can't say how much easier it would be for me to report taxes... Widespread adoption of BTC could be a good thing in itself. There are other groups of people interested in bitcoin besides the "fiat must die", the silk roads and the speculators.

atom-morgan 13y ago

I'd say it depends on the person.

citricsquid 13y ago

A feature bitcoin provides is it can be "anonymous", however most bitcoin purchases and purchasers don't need anonymity. see here: http://zerocoin.org/ http://zerocoin.org/

pdog 13y ago

No. Bitcoin itself is simply a technology -- there isn't a "point" to it. Bitcoins can be anonymous if there's no information linking the transaction or public address back to you.

baddox 13y ago

Pseudo-anonymity is one point of Bitcoin, but the only feasible way to quickly acquire Bitcoins pseudo-anonymously is to buy them in person, which defeats another point of Bitcoin (it being an online currency).

bdcravens 13y ago

"the point"? no. More of a side effect, but something that alot of folks have clung to. In reality it's pseudo-anonymous, and depending on your interpretation, it's the opposite on anonymity: all transactions are conducted in the open. (the exchange of currency that is; not the underlying identity of item of value on the other side of the transaction)