Post
Topic
Board Bitcoin Discussion
Re: If I cared about Bitcoin I would do this
by
DeathAndTaxes
on 28/11/2011, 17:36:43 UTC
I don't understand this sentiment - the allure of Bitcoin isn't that it is always decentralized, it's that it can be if you want it to. You decide the level of trust you want to have. If you trust almost no one, you run a full Bitcoin client connected to a few trusted nodes. A step up from that, you're running a chain-less client that has to trust wherever it gets it's balances from. Continue up the ladder until you reach whatever Bitcoin will eventually call banks.

Many of us see no reason to go that far up the ladder.  Those banks will have regulatory and insurance costs.  Cost that will need to be borne by higher fees.  If the fees get high enough why even use Bitcoin just use Paypal and optionally hedge your exposure to inflation.

The proposal is an "old world" way of thinking.  Green addresses solve the problems indicated by the OP and honestly for most transactions the confirmation delay is a non-issue.  There is no need to wait for confirmations on revokable transactions and double spends in meatspace are essentially impossible for a well designed merchant system.

So
revokable transactions & low value physical world transactions - confirmations a non-issue.
longer time frame transactions - confirmation delay a non-issue.
high value realtime transactions - use a green addreess.

Why do I need a bank (w/ never ending and always growing bank fees) again?