I noticed that the price was on a small linear rise these past few days, then it just popped up.  The only thing I can find as to what it might be is this: "CFTC Grants Full Registration to Bitcoin Swaps Trading Platform"  -- Coindesk.... or is it just the "pre-halving"?

What's the prevailing wind out there say?

Thanks, gents. 

And enjoy this ride.

I have noticed it takes all kinds to fill this planet and make it go round. 

You're comment reminded me of a conversation I had with a no-coiner a few summers back.  He was certainly a negative nancy to all my comments about bitcoin.  Finally it came down to me asking him "so would you ever consider buying some bitcoin?", to which he replied "yes, but not until it has become commonplace, and less volatile."

And so I says, that may not happen until it has reached $ 1 million, are you sure you'd wait until then?  And his response was "yes". ...

He may have been serious, or maybe just spiteful, its tough to say.  The best analysis I have of this is to compare it to the invention of the telephone.  There are some that would buy it right away, to have the newest thing, and then there are some that would wait until everyone has a phone before buying it, because why would you own it if hardly anyone you knew had one.  I realize the differences between these two inventions, but I'm just trying to rationalize of waiting to buy bitcoin at $ 1 million.

It might just be that some are happy to wait until it becomes a household item like a telephone, or a teapot, and they have no interest in making extra money on its path to that end.

hehe, this be true and wise.  But it happen to be embedded within the quote I was replying to, and so, it had some relevance.

Certainly, but what intrigued me most was JayJuanGee's comment:


There seem many here willing to post all sorts of explanations for the current bull run, any of which is plausible, but unprovable, except to realize that not all have entered into buying any bitcoin.  In my opinion, this reason is enough to explain every bull run.

Back in 2011 I could keep up with every new development surrounding bitcoin, but today, I certainly cannot.  That it gets absorbed by all sorts of financial instruments was inevitable, and for the most part a good thing.

I have also recently noticed this double edged sword of it being absorbed by the institutions.  I can see how some have tried to absorb it for the purpose of price manipulation, but eventually those games hit a wall, the wall of its hard limit of supply.  This is a property that has never existed in any other asset, its closest example may be gold.

Its this limit of supply that works to eventually counter any price manipulation games.

Its a nonsensical argument since bitcoin is designed to be like cash, or rather better than cash.  So one would not create something that works like cash for a "cashless" society.

And if you're worried about the tracking aspect ... there are ways to make this it more private.  I believe they are called those "privacy" coins.  Also, it seems that bitcoin can, and might, absorb these privacy technologies.

Taking over coinbase wouldn't have that much of an effect anymore.  Instead they'd have to try to take over every exchange, but this is getting more difficult to do every day, and you'd have to consider the decentralized exchanges.  So, not really realistic.

Yes, but sadly plenty of laypeople will be taken advantage of simply for not knowing the basics.  This stuff is still too knew.

I still remember when I was little and taught in class about how to use and count pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters, etc.  Does anyone here recall getting taught the basics of bitcoin in the first grade?  Of course not, because this tech is only ten years old.

It may be a generation later before everyone knows the basics enough to defend their stash of coins.

Yes, this is something I've noticed with most.  Naturally, why would they wish to risk anything on something they don't quite understand.  I know I wouldn't spend money on something that didn't make sense to me or I didn't find a use for.

But as time passes, knowledge of a new technology slowly seeps into the common lexicon, and in turn creating new bull runs.

Was this the picture?   I don't think those are boxes.  It looks like the side of an escalator, supposedly at consensus.

True. Their catch phrase "It's happening on eBay" can mean almost anything.

lol, a shamwow coin is a great idea.  I'd buy one, for the hell of it.

As for the "value" of alt-coins, I believe they serve an important purpose.  They are an incubator for experimental algorithms, like a large and wild ecology of untested possibilities.  Most have failed, but so what, every now and then you'll get a good idea to survive.  And if its good enough it can get absorbed into bitcoin.

Thus, I see the alt-coins as part of a large infrastructure beneath bitcoin.

Its getting close and so I thought I'd post this here.  I still recall the crazy thrill of seeing this back in 2017, capturing a screen image and sending it to a bunch of friends.  It surely seemed unbelievable to reach 10,000 back then.

from Nov, 28, 2017:

I don't think those interviewers noticed his tie.  lol.