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Most countries have 100% or more tax import, if you buy on theses countries a gpu, tax is low cause price of gpu is low and that is related to how import tax is charged, now asics are expensive, so most of the world can't buy asics cause if for you as you must live in tax-free country then you will pay $12k now think about $24k or more for them. For gpu's don't work like that, maximum they will pay more is 30% tax. So people around the world can still compete if 30%, if 100% no. Also those countries might never give you the hardware, gpus they don't care, is a computer hardware, they will never take it from you. GPU's are used for gaming, bitcoin asics only for money. I have seen in many cases customs of many countries charged 500% to 1000% if they found out is a bitcoin altcoin asic and in many cases they took from you without any notice and there is nothing you can do.
So my point is, if you knew this and yet sided with asics then it means you do not believe in decentralization cause like many you are a greedy bastard and want centralization cause you use that to your advantage.
Right now you can buy ASICs considerably cheaper than a GPU rig so what the hell are you talking about?
So lets say I have to pay $1500 for an asic, then pay a 100% tax im sitting at $3000 for the ASIC. If I want to build a 6 card 1080 Ti rig im looking at $7000 before taxes at current prices. So how is it that ASICs are a barrier based on cost when they are cheaper, more reliable, easier to use, etc....?
The centralization argument still holds no water because there are MASSIVE GPU farms out there just like for ASICs. I mean I manage over 10,000 GPUs in my facility alone.