It is quite obvious that there is a very real possibility that we aren't getting our money back ...
It is? Is there some source that supports this? Or is it just a feeling you have? Roman is always ridiculously quiet about everything. Even when the 25kBTC hack happened. I would actually fault him for that quite a bit myself: that's not how you run a business, regardless of what happens.
From the moment we let the money out of our direct control, there's been a very real possibility of not getting it back. The only question is that of probabilities. And speaking objectively, the longer it's being held by Bitfloor, the worse that probability gets. Roman's reputation is the only reason most of us have any hope at all.
n.b. This includes fiat in bank accounts we "control." Ask people in Cyprus about that. Haircuts are probably not coming to the US anytime soon, but when it comes to any country, they won't announce it in advance, because that would defeat the whole purpose. (It can be argued that there is no greater Ponzi scheme than our fractional reserve banking system.)
Hell, even if you stuff your mattress with cash, its "value" is being silently leeched away via inflation.
What I don't understand is how they managed to make the holding (um, "hoarding") of gold illegal in 1933 without a widespread backlash. The hubris of even considering the action shocks me. But then, it was the middle of the Great Depression, so I presume most people had better things to worry about, like food and shelter.
...Sometimes I wish I'd never heard of Bitcoin, because what I've learned since is a whole big series of very uncomfortable truths.
Anyway, yes, this exactly, 100% agree.
Also agree with the possible significance of the choice of the word "remaining". Been wondering that too but I figured if I started playing linguistic Sherlock Holmes I'd get smacked by someone. But I concur, it is an interesting choice, such that he may have accidentally gave a clue he didn't intend to -- that perhaps the bank also withheld some funds for some reason? This also did occur after tax day, so is it possible that the IRS locked some funds for whatever reason? (ie, didn't file for gains on bitcoin properly, or something more sinister on the IRS's part maybe.)