Quote from: JorgeStolfi on January 06, 2015, 12:36:21 AM

Quote from: Peter R on January 05, 2015, 07:16:18 PM

It has value because...

Sorry, I was not blessed with the necessary Faith. Undecided

...

I have to give it to you Jorgedespite the lack of references, the unsubstantiated claims and the ridiculous rhetoric, that was a well-written and effective troll.

I think it was an effective troll because you're starting to get it. That what really matters is not Bitcoin's speed, ease of use, or its 'features'; what gives Bitcoin its value is that it's not controlled by any central authoritythat the Blockchain is an accurate ledger, accessible to the world according to the protocol rules.

Will this always be the case? Well, that really is the $3.8 billion dollar question, isn't it? Does the experiment work? Are the incentives enough for the network to enforce the protocol rules objectively? Or will it devolve into an oligopoly?

Despite your claims to the contrary, the truth is that we don't know whether the experiment will continue to work or not. But so far it is working, and every month that passes by where it continues to work increases the chances for continued success. There are risks: the dwindling numbers of full-nodes, mining centralization, core development centralization, etc.; however, there's also a growing community of talented people passionately working to address these risks.

If it does work--if Bitcoin remains decentralized and continues to grow--then not only will it represent a great advancement for economic freedom, but it will also put that trillion-dollar pie in the sky within arm's reach.

You might want to get a few, in case it catches on.