For sure! The big 5 accounting firms have all stated that they have their own trials for utilizing cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. In addition, many banks have their own programs. I think there are many more big individuals/companies that are investing into this and many would do so without disclosing this information for competitive reasons.

Hi There!

Would love to join. Details as follows:

Your Username: wisqo
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Your BTC Address: 1EfXmNj1WuUdn6i1S8dr8V5LQ24owsp3u

Two things mostly. I'd love to see wider adoption as there aren't as many businesses accepting bitcoin as there should be. The second would be this latest trend of slow confirmation times and higher fees!

War is terrible. However, I think we are already seeing a different kind of WWIII playing out. Its not happening with guns and tanks, but its happening on the internet. Cyber warfare is being engaged on a daily basis between countries. In addition, there are countless proxy wars taking place around the world. I don't expect a full on war between superpowers because of the fact that nuclear weapons now exist. They would pretty much destroy each other and there will be no winners.

Remember it well. I used bitcoin to pay my vpn provider. I was surprised by how easy it was and how quickly it got approved. As soon as I sent the bitcoin, the page refreshed and a confirmation of payment was there. Now I use bitcoin to pay for many online services.

Based on simple probability, I do believe that alien life exists. The universe is so vast that I think it would be simplistic to think we are the only life in the whole universe. It doesn't necessarily mean it is advanced or smart alien life and it could very well be life very different from what we understand life to be, but I feel very certain about it.

I know that such a discovery will not be made in my life time, which saddens me in a way, but future generations will be lucky enough to finally answer this age-old question and I can only imagine what an exciting time it would be. 

In a way, yes it was a projection in the sense that it was predicted that the price would surpass 1000$ in 2017 again. However, I do not believe that the volatility in the +1100$ is the norm! I expect prices too cool down and remain stable in the 900$ to 1000$ bracket for a while, at least until the middle of March when some big decisions are expected.
 

This! Its pure economics, and there is no certainty. The question though was whether he should invest the 1k Euro, and he alluded to the fact that it was a lot of money for him. Therefore, it would be unwise to invest any amount you consider to be a lot for you as you there are no guarantees whatsoever.

Confirmation speed is important, yes. Imagine this scenario - you are at a local store that accepts bitcoin with dozens of people paying via bitcoin. If confirmation speeds are not instant, you have a long line of pissed off people waiting to complete their transaction. Problems like this will have an affect on adoption rates. This is probably one of the most pressing issues that needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

I think you do need to realize that bitcoin is definitely used for purchases. Many online services such as VPN providers, email providers and many many more provide bitcoin as a form of payment and plenty of people like myself use bitcoins for purchases.

I think bitcoin is ideal for developing countries. It offers alternative forms of payment at much lower costs and for any amount. Micro loans are rapidly growing across the African continent, helping small businesses get up and running. I think bitcoin is a tool that can be utilized to make these businesses keep their costs down. If adopted and used properly, it can certainly propel many countries forward.

I've been excited about bitcoin for a few years now but the gains over the past few days have been remarkable. It has been such a joy to watch the price climb the way it has, and when you step back and reflect on the fact that a crypto-currency has developed in the way it has its just such a historical achievement.

Educated guessing is a good way of summarizing it. You can never be 100% sure of an outcome (unless as you say you have insider info). However, by following the news and key events likely to impact the price of bitcoin (regulation, past issues that have affected the price) you can then work with a likely outcome. People who trade for a living (whether in bitcoin or fiat) develop a keen sense for picking up signals from the market to make these "educated guesses".

It's not about who "needs" bitcoin, its more about what it offers. Lower transaction fees means more money available to spend on other things which is good for the economy as a whole. Not for banks, obviously, but I do not know many people (except bankers) who would mind replacing the financial status quo for something new, innovative and less prone to corruption.

Agreed. To add, wider adoption of bitcoin as a form of payment will ultimately lead to a larger user base. This in turn will have an upward affect on prices. In principle, as Sadlife points out, the "invisible hand" of the market sets the price.

There are ways around it, and this has been discussed in detail in many posts on this forum. A quick search will yield results. However, the blockchain being a public ledger means basic transactions can be traced and looked up by practically anybody.

This month? Maybe, Maybe not. I would expect that to be the case within 6 months though.

Of course I believe in fiat. I use it daily and so does everybody else. However, I do not believe in the people/institutions that control fiat. It was a lot better when fiat was tied to gold reserves. Now we just create money out of thin air, which will have severe consequences in future.

You are right. It's actually a sad state of affairs because many people fall for this and end up losing money. I hope more people come across this before investing in these scams because I hate seeing people lose out to greedy scammers.

Ransomware has been around way before bitcoin. I remember I was hit by ransomware in the very early 2000s asking for $300 to be paid through a bank transfer to regain access to my machine. Only difference is that people involved in this ask for bitcoin instead of cash as it is easier for them to accept and less traceable. Nothing new, so a "new illegal industry emerged in the bitcoin ecosystem" is misleading.