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Re:The SEC Shows Why Bitcoin Is Doomed by etchalon on Thursday August 08, 2013 @01:22PM (#6180352)
Cash is regulated. Bitcoin isn't.

Looks like that's gonna change pretty quickly.

Re:The SEC Shows Why Bitcoin Is Doomed by ihsw on Thursday August 08, 2013 @01:31PM (#6180438)
"Bitcoin" encompasses multiple and distinctly separate concepts, namely: a transaction network, a currency, a wallet, and mining operations.

Does the wallet in your pocket get regulated? No, that's silly. It's just a container for currency.

Do the coins in your pocket get regulated? No, that's silly. It's just coins.

Does the generation of money get regulated? Absolutely, it's more tightly controlled than most other activities are in humanity. How will they regulate BTC mining? It's not really possible, but they'll likely engage computer hardware vendors of all stripes and sizes (across the planet) to pool purchase order histories to the government.

Do money transactions get regulated? Absolutely, it's another tightly controlled activity. How will they regulate BTC transactions? It's not really possible, but they'll likely engage BTC exchanges of all stripes and sizes (across the planet) to pool transaction histories to the government.

Re:The SEC Shows Why Bitcoin Is Doomed by dragonwriter on Thursday August 08, 2013 @01:48PM (#6180560)
> It's not really possible

Both places this is used with regard to regulation, this claim needs to be justified. It seems to me it misunderstands what it means for it to possible to regulate something.

Re:The SEC Shows Why Bitcoin Is Doomed by tlrobinson on Thursday August 08, 2013 @01:27PM (#6180406)
US businesses that exchange Bitcoin are already considered money transmitters and thus subject to regulation. FinCEN issued guidelines earlier this year.
Re:The SEC Shows Why Bitcoin Is Doomed by beambot on Thursday August 08, 2013 @01:42PM (#6180512)
Cash is "regulated" by the Fed... a quasi-governmental agency shrouded in secrecy. How is bitcoin any worse / different?
Re:The SEC Shows Why Bitcoin Is Doomed by etchalon on Thursday August 08, 2013 @01:59PM (#6180637)
Really?
Re:The SEC Shows Why Bitcoin Is Doomed by ferdo on Thursday August 08, 2013 @01:28PM (#6180416)
They can't really regulate Bitcoin but they can regulate the people that want to do biz with it in public.
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Re:The SEC Shows Why Bitcoin Is Doomed by etchalon on Thursday August 08, 2013 @02:03PM (#6180677)
No one said they could stop it, only that they could regulate it.
Re:The SEC Shows Why Bitcoin Is Doomed by dragonwriter on Thursday August 08, 2013 @01:49PM (#6180569)
> Cash is regulated. Bitcoin isn't.

Bitcoin is covered by lots of existing regulations -- as keeps being demonstrated -- contrary lots of the hype advanced by proponents.