Price Alert: Bitcoin heading toward €10,000

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You are both being disingenuous, which I find disconcerting.
This is the first time that we've interacted in one of these discussions @Colm Fagan and what's disgusting is that you should make such an allegation. That reflects on you - not on me.

I like honest discussions, where all participants want to uncover the truth.
I won't hold back my disgust Colm. It doesn't set you in a good light. I approach these discussions with a view towards learning and open discussion of a topic that I'm deeply interested in. I stand over every single post that I've made here - including my last post which you make accusations of dishonesty about. If you have a grain of decency, you'll roll back on that assertion.

I checked gold prices since the 1970's. The price was artificially pegged to the dollar until August 15 1971. Naturally, the uncoupling had a massive impact on the price, as I'm sure you know well.
Firstly, how are you sure that I know well it was important where the price of gold was concerned? Secondly, what of it if it did have an impact? Quite the opposite in fact. It makes my point - and to not mention such a thing would only weaken the argument I put forward. I'm comparing an extraordinary period for gold with an extraordinary period for bitcoin. It's entirely fitting and suitable to be examined. I outlined explicitly an extraordinary event in the '70s relative to gold (the introduction of gold futures and derivatives). You were left under no illusions but that my understanding was the period was an extraordinary one where gold was concerned. Not itemising the USD coming off the gold standard in '71 doesn't in any way take away from that. Furthermore, it doesn't in any way make me 'dishonest' in this discussion.

If you are saying that the rampant money printing began in '71 and gold being hard money responded to that, then that actually supports my position. If I was trying to dishonestly hide the fact, I would have been doing myself a disservice (because it supports the very point I set out to make).

I provided you with on the matter. Clearly, you either ignored it or couldn't be bothered to take the time to read it.

Here's a snippet of what he had to say:

"Bitcoin reminds me of gold when I first got into the business in 1976. Gold had just been productized as a futures instrument (like Bitcoin recently) and had enjoyed a heck of a bull market, almost tripling in price. It then corrected almost 50% in nearly two years similar to Bitcoin’s 28
-month 80% correction!"


Clearly there were three major events relative to gold in that decade. From the very outset, I referred to one of them (the introduction of gold futures and derivatives). Tudor Jones doesn't mention anything about the USD coming off the gold standard. Is he to come in for a charge of dishonesty also? He does mention that the 70s was a time when fiat currencies suffered from high inflation. He also points to the similarity of gold in the 70s with regard to volatility - the very same volatility we see with bitcoin today. He refers to the productization of gold - the very same productization that is happening with bitcoin right now.

He refers to gold and the 70s as being an extraordinary period. He likens it to bitcoin - as clearly bitcoin is in an extraordinary period as it proves itself and comes to the fore. You'll also note the economic backdrop we have right now - with rampant money printing the likes of which we have never seen. The Fed printed more monopoly money in the month of June ( '2 Centuries of Debt in One Month' ) than was issued in the first 2 centuries of the existence of the United States. Tudor Jones' thesis is very much taking into account these conditions as a backdrop to gold and bitcoin.

You say that you prefer to invest in companies that bring about growth through their trading activities - and that you don't favour gold nor bitcoin on this basis. I acknowledged your point. However, I pointed to the fact that I don't expect there to be major opportunities to make gains on Bitcoin once it has been established as a digital asset.

You point to the performance of gold in the '80s and with that you completely miss the point. Gold was being productized in the 70s against a backdrop of inflation, money printing and the dropping of the gold standard. Bitcoin is coming of age right now. It has a fixed cap supply. If it achieves adoption - whether that be as a store of value/digital gold/hedge against fiat currencies or further down the road as a means of exchange/transactional money, it's reasonable to assume that such demand will create pressure on its price. Volatility is a bad feature for a means of exchange. However, it provides a great opportunity for those that wish to trade bitcoin. I see it as a temporary one off event - albeit that it will need to play out over a number of years. Eventually, when bitcoin matures, I believe it will be as boring as gold.

It's on that basis, we have the comparison with gold in the 70s and it's on that basis, that I asked you the following:

"When gold increased 2,300% over the course of the 1970s, there would have been no value in holding it?"

I also asked you this: "What do you think the folks that contribute to the $9 trillion market cap of gold are playing at exactly? Why is there a market for gold to the value of $9 trillion dollars if you say that it's pointless?"

I don't believe in hoarding money, period. To repeat, it doesn't matter in what currency it's hoarded. I prefer to put it to work, earning interest, dividends or capital growth.
And in the 1970s you would have missed out on a gain of 2,300% in the appreciation of gold with that stance.
 
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I had read his whole Investopedia piece. It was the fact that he was such an evangelist, pure tecate, that impressed me so much with that key paragraph.
You cherry picked a particular point from his article - and used it without a citation to the author or the article itself (thinking that nobody could check it) - knowing that you were taking it out of context from what Kelleher stated in the rest of the article. It's only once you were called out on this that suddenly you were critical of Kelleher - only then was he an 'evangelist'. You then proceeded to try your best to pull apart other points that he had made in the article (i.e. the ones that didn't support your world view).

Can you answer yes or no do you agree with the above JK's key point? It does not need contextualising.
We've been through this many times. You insist on repeating it again and again. My answer is and always will be the same. You are taking it out of context. Your point at the time was that bitcoin can't succeed as a store of value because it has to establish itself as a medium of exchange first. What you conveniently leave out is Kellehers acknowledgement that gold isn't and can't be a medium of exchange yet it is a well established store of value. That's verifiable proof that an asset can become a store of value without first becoming a means of exchange if at all!

You can waste people's time here and ask me another 100 times if you wish Duke but my answer will be exactly as I've set out above and each and every time you've put it to me.
 
You are both being disingenuous,

Well I respectfully reject that.

This is your main point

My main point is that, if bitcoin ever gets to being a widely accepted currency, one that holds its value reasonably well over time, neither inflating or deflating, then there's no point in hoarding it.

To which I agreed.

I merely pointed out to you however that bitcoin does currently inflate and deflate.
 
What you conveniently leave out is Kellehers acknowledgement that gold isn't and can't be a medium of exchange yet it is a well established store of value. That's verifiable proof that an asset can become a store of value without first becoming a means of exchange if at all!
Okay you are refusing to answer. This time I will have the last word. Of course, an asset can become a store of value without being a medium of exchange. Did you even read my counter examples, gold, precious stones, jewellery in general, fine art, real estate etc.?
The absolutely key point which JK makes is that bitcoin cannot be in this category. It's role as a store of value stands or falls on its use as a medium of exchange. It is not a subtle point and I feel sure you understand it, but clearly you will never, ever admit it.
 
Okay you are refusing to answer.
I very much have answered - each and every time - including in my last post. You're taking it out of context by extracting one single statement with no regard for Kelleher's admission that gold has become a store of value without having a hope of ever becoming a medium of exchange.

It is not a subtle point and I feel sure you understand it, but clearly you will never, ever admit it.
You're trying to force me into a response that I vehemently disagree with. That's the reality Duke - but believe what you want.
 
You're taking it out of context by extracting one single statement with no regard for Kelleher's admission that gold has become a store of value without having a hope of ever becoming a medium of exchange.
I really am tearing my hair out.:rolleyes: That is the whole point. He points out that bitcoin is not like gold in this respect. Bitcoin cannot pull off gold's transition from medium of exchange to store of value because it's use as a store of value is 100% dependent on its utility as a medium of exchange. I think you disagree with him. I think you believe that bitcoin can become a gold, a work of art, a piece of jewellery, something with a store of value but with nada utility as a medium of exchange. JK profoundly disagrees with you and I agree 100% with him on this aspect.
 
I really am tearing my hair out.:rolleyes: That is the whole point. He points out that bitcoin is not like gold in this respect. Bitcoin cannot pull off gold's transition from medium of exchange to store of value because it's use as a store of value is 100% dependent on its utility as a medium of exchange. I think you disagree with him. I think you believe that bitcoin can become a gold, a work of art, a piece of jewellery, something with a store of value but with nada utility as a medium of exchange. JK profoundly disagrees with you and I agree 100% with him on this aspect.
I told you already - you want to repeat the same thing over and over again, it will elicit the same answer. The part that you conveniently left out is that Kelleher acknowledges gold is a store of value yet it isn't a medium of exchange.
 
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it will illicit the same answer.
I suppose that sums up your answer. JK is stating in very certain terms that bitcoin cannot follow gold in that respect. Its store of value stands or falls on its acceptance as a medium of exchange, I am going to ask Wolfie, realising he is a hostile witness, does he agree with JK when he says
JK said:
One of the biggest issues is Bitcoin's status as a store of value. Bitcoin's utility as a store of value is dependent on its utility as a medium of exchange. We base this in turn on the assumption that for something to be used as a store of value it needs to have some intrinsic value, and if Bitcoin does not achieve success as a medium of exchange, it will have no practical utility and thus no intrinsic value and won't be appealing as a store of value.
It doesn't need any context. But if you want context Google John Kelleher Investopedia. You may make a straight statement that you disagree with JK, that's fair enough, tecate ducks making any such statement. We simply then have that you disagree with JK on this point whilst I agree with him. That just leads to a "agree to disagree" situation, which is fair enough.
 
My answer was and will be that Kelleher acknowledged that gold has become a store of value without acting as a means of exchange.
I think I know your position but correct me if I am wrong. You believe that bitcoin can, like gold, be a store of value without being a medium of exchange. This is in direct contradiction of JK's very clearly stated view that bitcoin, unlike gold, cannot be a long term store of value unless it becomes a credible medium of exchange. You fundamentally disagree with JK on that point.
 
I think I know your position but correct me if I am wrong. You believe that bitcoin can, like gold, be a store of value without being a medium of exchange. This is in direct contradiction of JK's very clearly stated view that bitcoin, unlike gold, cannot be a long term store of value unless it becomes a credible medium of exchange. You fundamentally disagree with JK on that point.
I have no earthly idea why you want to labour this. Even if you did cherry pick that snippet from it, Kelleher's article is decent. However, it's an opinion in which he makes that statement whilst at the same time acknowledging a contradiction i.e. that gold functions perfectly fine as a store of value without being a medium of exchange. There are many opinions on the topic. I had long since provided you with another that clearly set out a need for bitcoin to first establish itself as a store of value and much later, establish itself as a medium of exchange. I could go and get you another 15 such opinions but I don't see the point because at this stage it's been done to death.
 
@WolfeTone @tecate
You are both being disingenuous, which I find disconcerting. I like honest discussions, where all participants want to uncover the truth. That was my objective when joining this discussion.
Colm, you make a very good point which is new to the debate. But you are nigh eve if you expected your honesty to be reciprocated. You are up against a cult.
 
Thanks Duke. I've realised that, which is why I've disengaged. I suggest you do the same. You're wasting your time.
 
Colm, you make a very good point which is new to the debate. But you are nigh eve if you expected your honesty to be reciprocated. You are up against a cult.
Thanks Duke. I've realised that, which is why I've disengaged. I suggest you do the same. You're wasting your time.

This is just a cop out.

I've have highlighted Mr Fagans main point (in his own words), to which I agreed.
If I agree with his comment, which cult am I part of?
 
This is just a cop out.
You're being quite generous at that, Wolfie. Only pond life goes around making unfounded allegations of dishonesty.

If I agree with his comment, which cult am I part of?
We shouldn't be too surprised by the tar and feathering, Wolfie. Gold bugs got this treatment for years. In that rant, the writer bemoans the fact that what's wrong with gold is the type of people who invest in it. He also refers to a 'cult' and there are countless such references thrown in the direction of gold bugs. And yet family offices, high net worth individuals, pension funds, hedge funds, sovereign wealth funds & governments, institutional investors generally - together with retail investors - all invest in gold. They do so to diversify their portfolios and as a hedge. That rationale and those participants all make up the $9 trillion dollar gold sector. That's a $9 trillion cult!

Whilst I'll always challenge the tar and feathering (as it's simply wrong), on the flip side I couldn't give a fiddlers. Digital assets are coming of age and they bring their own unique properties to the table. Bitcoin is at the heart of that. Those who have not taken the time to understand it, are too stuck in their ways to be open to it or are politically motivated against it can scream blue bloody murder. It will make no difference. It's coming of age and it's here to stay.

Claims have been made here that it's now do or die for bitcoin. Either it benefits from this rampant money printing or it's done for. I don't believe that - it will be around after this crisis regardless. That's also the view of US Congressman Tom Emmer. In a recent interview he said:

"As we come out of this crisis, bitcoin ain't going away. It's going to get stronger". . . "You just watch, it has value, when something has value, people are going to take risks and it's going to advance."

Emmer is one of a number of forward thinking politicians in the US where bitcoin and digital assets are concerned.
 
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Colm, you make a very good point which is new to the debate. But you are nigh eve if you expected your honesty to be reciprocated. You are up against a cult.

I believe that every time a group of people start believing into something (be it technology, politics, religion etc.) there are elements of cultism associated to the fact that humans have an innate desire for being right about something, simply because this makes us feel good (it's nature, it is ok).
The problem about using the "cult" argument about a topic is the fact that we equate every person that has an opinion to the people that present cultist behaviours. This is unfair to the people that have made their research, have evaluated pros and cons, have made a risk assessment and have decided to bet on the fact they are right. These people are also willing to learn more about the topic so that if they missed somethign they can make a correction bet.

Often people resort to the cult argument when they are not able to understand what that belief really is. For example, I was born a catholic and while growing up i was exposed to events that made me distance myself from it. I have tried to express my opinions with religious people and I have heard their explanations for the events, but something was always missing, something didn't sound right to me.

I know a lot of people that went through very similar situations that call catholicism a cult.

I don't.

I believe that I am not able to perceive and understand some things that other people perceive and understand. My life went one way and I abandoned catholicism. Does it mean that I am right and they are wrong? Absolutely not. It simply means that through my research and life experiences I have matured a belief that is different than the one the other people have for reasons i will never know.

If on a subject we are on opposing beliefs and don't start from a point of fallibility (i.e. I might be wrong about this), the conversation is pointless.
Instead of being a conversation where options are expressed and reflected upon, it becomes an exercise of nit picking at what other people say and using the linguistic techniques in order to prove our point or disprove what the other person is saying. This very quickly becomes an exercise of oratory rhetoric.

Throughout the years I found that a constructive approach to a conversation is the Socratic way that from wikipedia is "...a form of cooperative argumentative dialogue between individuals, based on asking and answering questions to stimulate critical thinking and to draw out ideas and underlying presuppositions."

This approach MUST start with the knowledge that we don't know and want to discover. It doesn't start with assertions like "Bitcoin is a clearly identifiable economic bubble" or "bitcoin is a cult"

How do we find out what approach we are using? Very simple. If when we start an argument we ask ourselves, "am i trying to indoctrinate or to discover?" we will know what we are doing.

I am the smartest man in Athens because i know that I know nothing

Gus

P.S. This doesn't mean that I don't enjoy the magnificent efforts of the frequent posters. Your use of all the possible logical fallacies is fascinating, but without the presumption of fallibility they remain an exercise in written rhetoric.
 
He also refers to a 'cult'

Yes, and the thing is, is that the common factor underlying of these discussions is whether bitcoin has any value or not and if so, how is the price of that measured.

The persistent 'cult' references are clearly an attempt to try demean the point of view of others and debase the discussion.
Regardless of anyone's views on bitcoin being a cult or not, this irreverence wholly fails to grasp that many, many cults (if that what bitcoin is) do have value. Be it large Christian Church cults or fringe cults, in which case the BOHA argument falls flat on it face.
This of course has been pointed out to the Duke and in recent times, in his words admitted that he had lost his conviction that bitcoin would return to zero anytime soon.

Flinging out accusations of 'disingenuous' to posters on a topic where the accuser admits in his opening sentence to having no clue about the subject matter really is the pot calling the kettle. Instead, I'm advised to read some sc-fi novel that sets the scene of an age without the internet some 800yrs from now!
 
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The personal savings rate in US has, unsurprisingly, shot up from average 7.9% to 23% from the period of March this year, according to this stat

US personal savings rate

If this is reflected across most Western economies it would suggest to me that in the event of full re-opening of economies there will be, combined with increases in government spending across the globe, a surge in demand.
Will this demand bring forth an inflationary effect?

On the other hand, considering the pervasiveness of Covid19 is the global financial system hurtling itself toward a liquidity trap? With increasing savings, lower demand and money printing and government borrowing at record highs, is everything that could go wrong lining up to go wrong?

Options to keep (some of) your wealth outside this system have never been needed more imo.
 
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