Quote from: MAbtc on February 22, 2014, 09:05:18 AM

Trades on Localbitcoins are not verifiable. You can trade with yourself using multiple accounts. As long as you use their escrow system, the trade "happened." Likewise, all the people who use Localbitcoins to trade P2P for cash with no escrow -- those trades "never happened."

It's interesting though that when you look at long term LocalBitcoins charts, the bias is always towards over-expensive rates. Why hasn't there been corresponding attempts to depress the price, selling to yourself too low? Not sure how to account for that.

The SSL logs for trade verifications project looks promising as a way of proving the fiat quantity paid (LocalBitcoins will accept a webpage screenshot Cheesy

), but I expect a commercial/centralised service will never implement it. Fortunately, p2p exchanges are more developed than the last time I checked, and some are intending to use it, and could do so without system-wide issues. If they were to broadcast a feed of trades too, then we might well have the best platform for price discovery yet. I wonder what would happen to the charts if the majority of trade was done with the minimum friction that those exchanges would bring. Disincluding p2p cash trades from any trading API would be a must, of course.

I no longer accept that Stamp or BTC-e & Kraken etc really represent an undistorted price discovery mechanism, the Gox issues have brought the redeeming/withdrawal issues to the front of everyone's minds when making trading judgements. This may improve. Or get worse. Currently, the indications are that free market price discovery with commercial exchanges is going to be made exclusive at some future point. I'm not impressed with such a prospect, personally.

Quote from: rpietila, the Vassal of the Mighty Goat on February 24, 2014, 10:31:20 PM

I just wanted to tell you that I am finalizing the purchase of Malla Manor this week, and we will have a party there starting Friday.

Malla will be (probably) the first high-class Bitcoin retreat centre in the world. 100% owned by me, it offers 5000 sqm floor area (some under renovation) and currently 127 acres of land. The property is in the middle of beautiful countryside in Estonia, just 1 hour from Tallinn airport.

Haha, that's amazing. Hope the deal goes through ok, bitcoin country mansion retreats FTW. Wearing monocles should be mandatory.