I have a hard time following the logic when people make a statement that Bitcoin will replace all fiat currency.  In my world view, they coexist and will continue to coexist.  I can see where some fiat currencies die and Bitcoin fills in the gap, but not on a global level.  Your thoughts?

I guess if wealth is evil, you better give me your money and bitcoin so you'll be safe.

I'm hoping some national retailers will start accepting bitcoin.  Online retailers are great, but I want some brick and mortar stores around my area.

I think you're making a few assumptions that won't happen. 

First, at some point, those holding Bitcoin will spend them (or would you lock up all of your wealth in one asset class?).  So you won't end up with 1% holding over 50% of the Bitcoins.

Second, the vast majority of users will hold very little Bitcoin (just like you don't put all of your available cash in your checking account).  The use will be more of a flow in, flow out.  For example, I have half a bitcoin in my spending wallet.  I go to the store, buy something.  The store owner takes the bitcoin for the transaction and immediately trades it in for dollars, pounds, euros, etc.

Third, those perks and fraud protection cost money.  You're paying more for goods and services because of it.  Don't fool yourself into thinking the credit card companies and merchants are eating these costs.

The only reason credit cards will continue to exist is that many people rely on them to deal with short-term cash-flow shortfalls.  Although I believe there will be Bitcoin backed cards available soon.

It is a problem that established tech companies will always face, disruptive technologies.  The good ones adapt, the bad one's ignore the white elephant.  Sounds like you are lucky to have avoided a company like that.

There are mechanisms for getting funding that some of these projects should consider (e.g., kickstarted, angel list).  I'm an investor on angel list and the only bitcoin related company to come through there recently was crowdcurity (yes, I invested).

The right way to get funding involves building a good team, formalizing the organization, having a solid development path, and demonstrated tech.  If they have this, then it is all about networking.  Build a good kickstarted campaign, or find a solid syndicate leader on angel list and good projects will become funded tech companies.

@madbitcoins tried to get a mass tipping to Youtube celebrity Jenna Marbles a couple of weeks ago.  She didn't respond/collect the bitcoins and after a while it looked like borderline Internet stalking.  I'm not sure any celebrities (other than some of the more tech savvy like Tim Farris, Mark Cuban, etc.) will take the tip and start talking about it.  Joe Rogan has had two podcasts on it, but that was back when it was over $800.

You could send Obama a tip on @changetip.  They will set up a wallet for his twitter account, which he can claim if he chooses.

The pumps already have connectivity.

There have been unmanned pumps for quite some time.  They are usually reserved for fleet vehicles, but there are some consumer ones out there.  One company (I forget the name, but they are popular in California) have ATM connected pumps that allow you to pay for your gas.  Those could easily be retrofitted with multipurpose ATMs.

Electricity
beer (may have existed prior to sliced bread),
Internet

This already exists:

http://takemybitcoins.tv

Sad to me that people don't understand how general economics and risk work.  There is no reason for any company (including Oil and Gas) to hold bitcoins.  They are not in the business of currency speculation.  In fact, they would want to hedge any Bitcoin holdings they may have.  In the real world, they would receive and sell the coins immediately to avoid currency risk.

Murphy USA has a text/SMS service where the user can text (generating an ACH on their bank account) and they receive a code that can be used at the pump (which are connected to a network).  No reason the ACH couldn't be a Bitcoin transaction, saving the vendor even more money.

I've been buying more.

The key is to get more national vendors (e.g., Starbucks, Wendy's, General Dollar) with physical locations to understand how Bitcoin can save them $ by reducing fees and eliminating charge backs.  They could offer their customers a small discount to use Bitcoin and/or integrate it with their apps

There is no reason to recover them.  Just a curiosity on part of how many of those are gone.

I can't say I disagree that scarcity is the primary value proposition, but I'd say the dead Bitcoins do matter as they won't be turning up in a crash. 

I believe the current "crash" has a lot to do with companies like Dell and Overstock accepting bitcoins.  Having new opportunities to spend bitcoins would cause previous hoarders to spend.  Dell and Overstock don't hold the coins, they cash them out for another quick sale, which puts more coins on the sale side than the buy side.  In the future, as more people are regularly transacting in Bitcoin, this downward pressure should equalize.  But for now, there aren't enough people buying bitcoins. 

I'm curious about how many Bitcoins are effectively dead (i.e., lost private keys, owner dies, etc.).  I imagine it is more than 10% of all coins.  It will happen less and less, but with so many people who mined when they were worth next to nothing, I would think most of the early Bitcoins died.  What do you think?

= buying opportunity.