Bitcoin and Blockchains

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In this final episode of the Keiser Report from Freedom Fest in Las Vegas, Max and Stacy encounter Peter Schiff in the halls of the convention center and challenge him on bitcoin. Max continues his interview with bitcoin entrepreneur Charlie Shrem to discuss the latest drama and innovation in the cryptocurrency space.
 

[admin]

A great argument for the reasons NOT to buy bitcoin.

Thank you Peter Schiff.

Gold is real money and always has been.

The masses have no idea of the differences between a currency and money.

is Bitcoin the new gold?

[admin]

How the blockchain will radically transform the economy | Bettina Warburg

Say hello to the decentralized economy -- the blockchain is about to change everything. In this lucid explainer of the complex (and confusing) technology, Bettina Warburg describes how the blockchain will eliminate the need for centralized institutions like banks or governments to facilitate trade, evolving age-old models of commerce and finance into something far more interesting: a distributed, transparent, autonomous system for exchanging value.

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Richie Etwaru, discusses the opportunity and implications of blockchain as a paradigm to slow/chose the expanding trust gap in commerce. He unpacks blockchain to a level of simplicity to be consumed by those that are just starting to understand and explore the paradigm. He lays out a current state of commerce, suggesting that every company is currently at risk of being disrupted or incurring severe strain from a blockchain version of itself. Professionally, Richie Etwaru is a c-level at a Fortune 500 Company, an author, the owner of international patents, the founder of multiple ventures, an experienced keynote speaker, an angel investor, a member of advisory boards, and a recognized thought leader in the area of digital, technology, and design. Specific to this TEDx talk, Richie is an adjunct professor of blockchain management at Syracuse University in New York, he has delivered over 100 blockchain keynotes across the world, he has written well read blockchain blogs, he has been interviewed on blockchain in online TV shows, and has advised governments and venture funds on blockchain opportunities.

[admin]

Author of best seller "blockchain revolution", Alex share in this talk about how the blockchain the technology behind bitcoin Is changing money, business, and the world. Alex Tapscott is the CEO and Founder of Northwest Passage Ventures, a consulting firm focused on early-stage, high growth companies in the Canadian and U.S. Capital markets. His is also co-author, with Don Tapscott, of the new book Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin Is Changing Money, Business, and the World (Portfolio / Penguin Random House 2016). Alex was Director of Institutional Equity Sales at Canaccord Genuity Inc. from 2008 to 2015. He managed a diverse client base of value, growth, long/short equity, merger-arbitrage and activist investors, including many of the largest asset managers in Canada and some of the largest hedge funds in New York. A graduate of Amherst College and a CFA Charterholder, Alex serves as a research fellow for the Global Solutions Network (GSN) program at the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Business in Toronto and sits on the board of CAMH Engage, a young leadership counci

[Guest]

“This is going to be the largest bubble of our lifetimes.”

Hedge fund manager Mike Novogratz talking about…what else? Cryptocurrencies. He went on: “You can make a whole lot of money on the way up, and we plan on it.” Godspeed!

[Guest]

“There is a situation where money has been flooded into an unproductive and speculative direction.”

A South Korean representative discussing why the country put an end to Initial Coin Offerings (ICO). This comes only a few weeks after China made the same decision.

[Guest]

Goldman Sachs is playing with the idea of trading Bitcoin.

[Guest]

BlackRock’s ETF manager ruled out a digital currency fund.

[Guest]

Jamie Dimon might think Bitcoin’s a fraud, but his company, JP Morgan (+2.07%), is giving the green light to the underlying technology—blockchain. The U.S.’ No. 1 bank by assets launched a blockchain payments network with the Royal Bank of Canada and the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group.

JP has poured millions into its in-house blockchain solution, Quorum, as it looks to improve transaction speeds, tighten payment security, and eliminate third-party verifications. 

And if you need any more proof this tech has potential, IBM (-0.18%) released its own cross-border blockchain payments system…on the same day. 

Working arm-in-arm with Stellar (a blockchain startup) and KlickEx (a cross-border payments company), Big Blue is looking to reduce the length of international transactions from days to seconds. But it goes further: by streamlining digital payments, this technology could instantly connect buyers and sellers around the world…like a sheep farmer in New Zealand to an importer in the U.K. 

It’s a block(chain) party and everyone’s invited.

https://www.morningbrew.com/stories/chip-off-old-blockchain/

[admin]

And while we have no idea what’s driving this price up, down, or sideways each day, we certainly can speculate:

Is it the (now) 13 million active accounts on Coinbase driving demand? Charles Schwab only has 10 million. 

Is it Japan putting its finger on the crypto-trigger? 60% of Bitcoin is now traded in yen.

Is it hedge fund manager Mike Novogratz predicting the currency would hit $10,000 last month? He and his $500 million new crypto fund might agree.

For now, we’ll just strap in and enjoy the ride.

[James Thomas Rook Jr.]

There was a time in Holland where the currency was tulip bulbs, and ONE tulip bulb cost as much as a fine house.

From INVESTOPEDIA:

" When: 1634-1637

Where: Holland

How Much: This number is difficult to calculate, but, we can tell you that at the peak of the market, a person could trade a single tulip for an entire estate, and, at the bottom, one tulip was the price of a common onion. (Related: How To Avoid Emotional Investing)

A Happy Accident, a Speculative Bubble

In 1593 tulips were brought from Turkey and introduced to the Dutch. The novelty of the new flower made it widely sought after and therefore fairly pricey. After a time, the tulips contracted a non-fatal virus known as mosaic, which didn't kill the tulip population but altered them causing "flames" of color to appear upon the petals. The color patterns came in a wide variety, increasing the rarity of an already unique flower. Thus, tulips, which were already selling at a premium, began to rise in price according to how their virus alterations were valued, or desired. Everyone began to deal in bulbs, essentially speculating on the tulip market, which was believed to have no limits. 

The true bulb buyers (the garden centers of the past) began to fill up inventories for the growing season, depleting the supply further and increasing scarcity and demand. Soon, prices were rising so fast and high that people were trading their land, life savings, and anything else they could liquidate to get more tulip bulbs. Many Dutch persisted in believing they would sell their hoard to hapless and unenlightened foreigners, thereby reaping enormous profits. Somehow, the originally overpriced tulips enjoyed a twenty-fold increase in value - in one month!

The Risk of Putting Your Life Savings in Flowers

Needless to say, the prices were not an accurate reflection of the value of a tulip bulb. As it happens in many speculative bubbles, some prudent people decided to sell and crystallize their profits. A domino effect of progressively lower and lower prices took place as everyone tried to sell while not many were buying. The price began to dive, causing people to panic and sell regardless of losses.

Dealers refused to honor contracts and people began to realize they traded their homes for a piece of greenery; panic and pandemonium were prevalent throughout the land. The government attempted to step in and halt the crash by offering to honor contracts at 10% of the face value, but then the market plunged even lower, making such restitution impossible. No one emerged unscathed from the crash. Even the people who had locked in their profit by getting out early suffered under the following depression.

The effects of the tulip craze left the Dutch very hesitant about speculative investments for quite some time. Investors now can know that it is better to stop and smell the flowers than to stake your future upon one. "

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We have a Brother here in the Charlotte area that invested in Bitcoin, and lost it all ... and I mean EVERYTHING ... his cars, his home, his business, his "Eldership", his family, and even his sanity.  Last I heard he was destitute and institutionalized, but still alive.