Quote from: jibble on July 23, 2014, 04:27:49 AM

Quote from: BigOrangeBee on July 22, 2014, 11:50:06 PM

I understand Ether is not a coin, it's a basically a token to use on the Ethereum blockchain in order to initiate any implementation.
Is that basically correct?

What methods will be available for determining Ether value (in BTC or fiat) after the Ether pre-sale is finished, and what avenues will be available to sell Ether for BTC or fiat after the pre-sale is finished. Will Ether be traded on exchanges?

It will be dependent on earnings if i am understanding it correctly.

It costs ether to run these smart contracts, with these smart contracts you can set things up, like a fully automated trustless escrow service that is completely decentralized , websites or gambling addresses, with smart contracts set to payout on demand or when told to. ( there are literally hundreds of other things that can be made with these smart contracts, they are just random examples of what could be created)

These smart contracts will end up earning the people who own them a certain amount of cash every week or month for having them running and performing their function.

the price of ether will be closely related to the earning potential of these contracts. it would likely reach a balanced level between the cost of ether and the amount of potential gains from using ether

If the smart contracts earn the owners a higher return then the price of ether should technically rise. because each ether has an "earning potential" by being used in the running of a smart contract. which is higher than the cost, increasing demand in the coin to be used to earn them money. thus rising the price.

Can it be concluded then that if no one uses Ethereum, then Ether will not have any value?

So the return on investment in Ether would be dependent on the adoption in the mainstream of Ethereum as the "new decentralized internet" or "bitcoin 2.0" as its being called.

It's obviously an amazing accomplishment and the devs are probably the best in the business right now.
This is skyscrapers above all the crap altcoins being sold on exchanges.

But how can we know if the mainstream will accept it? And if they don't, then what is it worth?

As I understand it, all websites would have to be transferred over to an eth:// address. What are the chances that every major business on the net is going to transfer to an Ethereum platform anytime soon?

Not very good I think.

This is worth a lot, and I recommend investment. However, I don't think anyone can expect a return on their investment for at least a few years. If successful, Ethereum will be a long road, this is not instant success for anyone except the devs who will be receiving a portion of the investments as their salaries and going to a fund for further development. I know they deserve something for their hard work. But I am not sure that I, personally, can afford to pay for their work, I have my own bills and needs. If my funds will be tied up in Ethers for a long time to come, I just want to know the score.

I still hope to get a direct answer to my question: How, where, and when can ethers be sold back to bitcoin or fiat?