Re:Why Banks Are Suddenly Closing Down Customer Accounts
by jacquesm on Monday November 06, 2023 @05:29AM
(#38160818)
Indeed. I've sent money to more than one individual over time that had no way of receiving it other than crypto. For instance, when you're homeless or in some third world country crypto may well be your only option (that, and WU but they're outrageously expensive and inconvenient).
Re:Why Banks Are Suddenly Closing Down Customer Accounts
by delfinom on Monday November 06, 2023 @02:53PM
(#38167952)
>I see cryptocurrencies as inevitable. Eventually cash will be eliminated, and this will only leave cryptocurrencies.
Except, unless cryptocurrencies are tied to some brain implant so you cant lose the keys. There will be a need for a custodian for the average joe's key...and banks 2.0 here we come.
Re:Why Banks Are Suddenly Closing Down Customer Accounts
by Gareth321 on Thursday November 09, 2023 @04:01AM
(#38202653)
I agree, and I think banks 2.0 are already here: exchanges. Some of them offer credit cards, loans, leverage, investing, and savings accounts already. The catch is that they're largely unregulated, so I see a lot of people opting to keep their cryptocurrency in personal wallets. Like cash, if you lose your wallet, you lose your currency. So people might have a hardware wallet at home in a safe, and one which they top up when they do their shopping each day. In fact, wallets are safer than cash because currency can be retrieved if they're well designed. Bitcoin wallets, for example, merely hold a key to one's funds in the cloud. That key can be shared with multiple devices. Many offer retrieval methods using pass-phrases, which can be stored electronically or printed and kept in a safe or deposit box, for example.
I'm not claiming crypto is better or more convenient today than banks. At least not for most people. My premise is that they will become more valuable over time relative to their risks and limitations.
Re:Why Banks Are Suddenly Closing Down Customer Accounts
by BobaFloutist on Tuesday November 07, 2023 @01:18PM
(#38180645)
Do you really think crypto will become the default currency and governments will take no steps to restrict and regulate transactions in exactly the same way they do with cash?
Re:Why Banks Are Suddenly Closing Down Customer Accounts
by Gareth321 on Thursday November 09, 2023 @03:56AM
(#38202620)
I don't think it will ever become a default currency for modern nations. I think it will be used for parallel economies, which will expand. People will be able to buy more and more goods and services with crypto. Many more services will be set up to facilitate the conversation from USD, for example, to BTC. The scale of these parallel economies will depend on the lengths to which governments attempt to stifle freedoms. As they become more egregious, more and more people will opt to be paid in cryptocurrencies, and shop at places which accept it. There are many ways governments can and will clamp down on cryptocurrencies, but there are even more ways to achieve circumvention.
For the record, I am far from a "crypto bro." I understand all of their limitations, including high volatility. I am arguing that their value is quickly growing in relation to their risks.