Several years ago I asked in these forums about how I could buy several hundred thousand dollars worth of bitcoin.   It became obvious, back then, that it would be a nearly impossible task.   I would have faced sanctions by my bank, I would have moved the price and I would have had to deal with a mysterious Japanese company called MtGox.

In the end, I sadly took no action.

Everything has changed.  It is now 5X easier to buy bitcoin.   I am now a regular buyer of bitcoins.  I don’t care that the price is 10X or 100X what I could have had them for.

So why am I buying now?

Exclusivity
Firstly, there will never be more than 21 million bitcoins.   There are more millionaires than that.   I like to own something that not every millionaire will be able to own.  It’s exclusivity.   I own something that has a limited supply, so not everyone can own one, but I’ve got lots of them.

I don’t need to ask permission to spend them
Secondly, I like the fact that bitcoin is “permission-less”.   I won’t ever have to ask permission to spend or use my bitcoins - not that I plan to use them. Everything else I own (in the form of financial assets) is in the hands of a bank or a custodian.  I can’t spend my money without permission from my bank or credit card company.  

Bitcoin can’t be “frozen”
If a business deal goes wrong, if someone sues me, if a future wife divorces me and says “I get everything”, if I am friends with a sanctioned political leader - because you survive by being on the side of those in power, - if, if, if, if....... so many things might go wrong.  I could wake up one morning, and find my bank accounts frozen, and my credit cards don’t work.   They can’t ever freeze my bitcoin.   The code is in my head.

What’s wrong with cash or gold bars?
The most obvious disadvantage with cash is that it is being de-valued all the time. It’s great to own for a year or two, but in the long run it’s going towards zero.   Secondly, they change the colour and design of the bank notes every few years.  You have a limited time to change old for new.  Then, if you are changing more than a small amount, you have to start answering questions and providing documents.   Lastly, you can’t cross the border with more than 10’000 dollars or euros in cash without filling in forms, which could lead to another line of questioning.

As for gold, it also is difficult to transport without customs declarations.  Gold bars or coins are not easily divisible into smaller sizes.