It sounds like Bancor is going to be in competition with the Waves Platform. You can create your own tokens on each network and they can be exchanged within the system. Why use Bancor and not Waves?
I would say that Waves is somewhere between an Ethereum and a Bancor. It provides the infrastructure to create tokens and eventually smart contracting capabilities. Bancor's focus is on providing liquidity through their algorithmic pricing and removing the need for exchanges. Waves doesn't offer this functionality, but rather uses the DEX to match a buyer and a seller.
Are there any examples of Bancor's algorithmic pricing model using reserve assets being applied in the financial markets to date?
Also Bitshares has over-collateralised currency stable assets, using BitShares as the reserve, that have been functioning well for over two years, incl. BitCNY and BitUSD which have combined capitalizations of over $5 million.
They could be a lot more popular on Ethereum. Is that something you've looked into or considering?
There hasn't been anything quite like this implemented before. It is based on theoretical frameworks presented by thinkers like FA Hayek. I guess one of the most related applications in practice is a prediction market or sports betting platform. The odds are weighed on one side at first, but balance out/shift over time with different people choosing sides. It's similar to Bancor tokens in the way that you can create/redeem tokens which causes fluctuations in the price.
Bitshares is doing some great work for sure! Ronny and team are some of the most forward-thinking minds in the space. Regarding stable assets on ETH, there are a few projects working on this including STABL. They should be active in a few months and will be a great addition to the protocol.