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Bitcoin and Crypto-currency


               
2017 Nov 5, 3:36pm   123,099 views  643 comments

by BayArea   follow (1)  

#investing

Hi guys,

I'd like to start a conversation on crypto-currency, particularly Bitcoin.

What do you all think about it from an investment point of view today? I have some buddies in the finance world who are quite bullish on it and claim we are just scratching the surface. Judging by the recent performance, they may be right.

For people who are investing in Bitcoin, what are you using to invest and what recommendations do you have for a new investor?

Also, how are gains taxed compared to typical stock market gains?

I read this week that over 100,000 merchants in the USA are accepting Bitcoin today.

At the same time, digital currency does scare me a bit as it seems so abstract. Curious what PatNet thinks.

Thanks guys!

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527   AD   2025 Feb 1, 10:32am  

HeadSet says

You also lump insider trading with a speculative coin? Kinda like saying "Why are folks upset at a guy put who ransomware on a hospital network and extorted $100,000 but not upset at the kid who wrote Angry Birds yet made millions."


I want to know who bought Puts in stocks like Nvadia and GOOGL just before the major market manipulation story of the Chicom's Deep Seek.

I want to know everything about them including their political ideology in relation to the Chicoms

By the way, I'm glad they got this Deep State fucktard: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/31/ex-senior-federal-reserve-advisor-charged-with-economic-espionage-to-benefit-china.html

,
528   DemoralizerOfPanicans   2025 Feb 2, 6:23pm  

"Nooo, movement towards sanity, order, and stability! My precious Buttcoin!"


Retarded Woke and WokeRight buttcoin peddlers really mad that Ye or Bernie didn't win the Presidency.
529   AD   2025 Feb 24, 8:04pm  



530   AD   2025 Feb 24, 8:07pm  

.

Bitcoin naturally had a rally leading up to Trump's inauguration since Trump is pro crypto.

So the euphoria has subsided for now and the recent Bitcoin balloon has released some air

The smart traders and hedge funds sold some Bitcoin to take their gains, and rotated the money from the gains to another asset.

.
531   HeadSet   2025 Feb 25, 7:36am  

AD says





I would suspect that less than 7% of the global population invests in anything more than a food pantry.
532   AD   2025 Feb 25, 7:16pm  

.

Extreme fear with Bitcoin sentiment index

https://alternative.me/crypto/fear-and-greed-index/

.
533   Misc   2025 Feb 25, 9:00pm  

If 88K is extreme fear, I wonder what 30k would be.
534   Maga_Chaos_Monkey   2025 Feb 25, 9:04pm  

AD says

.

Extreme fear with Bitcoin sentiment index

https://alternative.me/crypto/fear-and-greed-index/

.


Good chance it goes to 73 tomorrow, even if only for a day.
535   Maga_Chaos_Monkey   2025 Feb 25, 9:07pm  

HeadSet says


I would suspect that less than 7% of the global population invests in anything more than a food pantry.


From what I've read, over and over, the uptake for BTC is moving quicker than PCs. I think it was PCs + internet but I could be wrong on both accounts.

By that I mean wallets. There are a lot of very small wallets. Perhaps those aren't singletons people though who knows.

But that's what the PlanB's stock to flow model is all about: https://x.com/100trillionUSD

I think this is a rather large deviation from that model though.
536   Maga_Chaos_Monkey   2025 Feb 25, 9:09pm  

Okay, I did have blonde hair when I was a kid. I just snapped to the fact that the B in PlanB is bitcorn lol... I just never really though about it!
537   AD   2025 Feb 28, 9:34pm  

.

still in early stages of Bitcoin being adopted worldwide, and it helped a lot that major brokerages like Blackrock have Bitcoin exchange traded funds



.
538   DemoralizerOfPanicans   2025 Mar 7, 1:36pm  

Remember that fiat currencies are so worthless & crypto currencies so valuable that dealers in crypto will sell crypto to you in exchange for your worthless fiat currency ....
539   AD   2025 Mar 15, 11:00pm  

At least 20 million new bitcoin addresses — about 1.5% of all bitcoin addresses in existence — have been created in the past three months, according to crypto data and analytics firm Glassnode.

The ratio between the prices at which new bitcoin is being bought and sold, known as the spent output profit ratio, has meanwhile dipped to 0.95, its lowest level in over a year and negative for the first time since October, according to estimates from crypto exchange Bitfinex.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/investing/2025/03/13/bitcoin-investors-harsh-reality/82373078007/?tbref=hp
540   AD   2025 Mar 17, 2:10pm  

https://bitcoinist.com/crypto-reserve-controversy-poll-shows-americans-arent-on-board/

“Only 10% of voters believe the U.S. should increase federal funding for cryptocurrency and blockchain development"

Among Republican voters, 36% of them wanted to decrease the federal funding for digital assets while 31% of them said they wanted the government to retain the current level of spending on digital assets. About 12% of the voters wanted to increase federal spending on cryptos.

About 45% of the respondents wanted to reduce the federal funding for cryptocurrency and blockchain development while 29% of them stated the government should keep the current level of spending on cryptos.

Among Democrat voters, 52% of them wanted to decrease the federal funding for digital assets while 26% of them said they wanted the government to retain the current level of spending on cryptos. Only 9% of the voters wanted to increase federal spending on digital assets.
541   MolotovCocktail   2025 Mar 18, 12:49pm  

AD says

“Only 10% of voters believe the U.S. should increase federal funding for cryptocurrency and blockchain development"


1) load of shit pushed by Bitcoin whales who want the taxpayer to bail them out.

or

2) 10% of voters are ignorant morons.
542   Misc   2025 Mar 18, 12:54pm  

There are over 37 million different crypto tokens.

I don't think we need the governments help to develop more of them.
543   AD   2025 Apr 1, 10:56pm  



544   AD   2025 May 11, 9:45am  

.

El Salvador's government owns about 6,700 Bitcoins. The USA government owns about 214,000 Bitcoins, or about $214 billion dollars, and owns about $900 billion in gold.

Ukraine has received about 46,000 Bitcoins through donations since the start of Russia's invasion, which is around $46 billion. Use this to at least rebuild and repair residential buildings.

One benefit of owning that much assets is that banks like Charles Schwab Bank would lend money such as through Pledged Asset Line (PAL) at the prime rate (now about 7.5%) or even a lot less lower rate. I know the rich do this to avoid paying capital gains tax of 20%.

.


545   Al_Sharpton_for_President   2025 Jun 4, 6:41am  

Main St., Greenville, SC.


547   DeficitHawk   2025 Jul 5, 7:09pm  

MolotovCocktail says






Good! The Federal Government should do the same.

Taxpayers should not be exit liquidity for crypto bros!

I don't care what nonsense people buy or invest in... that's up to them. But they should pay their taxes on gains, and eat their own losses.. just like any other asset. Don't get taxpayers involved in subsidizing their exit strategy.
548   mell   2025 Jul 5, 8:07pm  

DeficitHawk says


MolotovCocktail says







Good! The Federal Government should do the same.

Taxpayers should not be exit liquidity for crypto bros!

I don't care what nonsense people buy or invest in... that's up to them. But they should pay their taxes on gains, and eat their own losses.. just like any other asset. Don't get taxpayers involved in subsidizing their exit strategy.


You mean like Obummer put the taxpayers on the hook to foot the entire 2008 financial crisis? While I prefer investing into equities I don't see how bitcoin is different from fiat money, it's a real alternative, and the price is reflecting it. All the bitcoin haters could have prospered from buying bitcoin but instead they just keep bashing it and keep being wrong. I can see many problems with bitcoin but I'm glad I'm at least tangentially invested through a fund which holds a partial bitcoin investment even though I have been somewhat perma skeptic on it. It's here to stay. Might as well make fun of the disintegrating dollar, Euro now again around 1.20 highs
549   DeficitHawk   2025 Jul 5, 8:18pm  

mell says

I can see many problems with bitcoin but I'm glad I'm at least tangentially invested


You do you!

Not the taxpayers circus, not the taxpayers monkeys.
550   DeficitHawk   2025 Jul 5, 8:32pm  

I have no problem if people buy or hold bitcoin. Thats not my concern.

But I have a big problem with the people who are asking for Bitcoin to have some special tax exempt status, or use public funds to prop it up.

Buy it, Hold it, Sell it, whatever. Pay your taxes, eat your losses, dont involve the taxpayers or ask for special status.
551   mell   2025 Jul 5, 9:43pm  

DeficitHawk says


I have no problem if people buy or hold bitcoin. Thats not my concern.

But I have a big problem with the people who are asking for Bitcoin to have some special tax exempt status, or use public funds to prop it up.

Buy it, Hold it, Sell it, whatever. Pay your taxes, eat your losses, dont involve the taxpayers or ask for special status.

Agreed, treat it like every other investment. No need to ban it though for states or federally, it's as safe/unsafe as whatever else the pension funds invest in. Maybe more volatile, although not lately.
552   DeficitHawk   2025 Jul 5, 9:51pm  

mell says


Agreed, treat it like every other investment. No need to ban it though for states or federally

Oh agree. I dont want to ban it. I dont want to treat it differently from other investments.

BUT theres a huge push from the crypto community to do exactly that.
https://bitcoinmagazine.com/takes/senator-lummis-new-bitcoin-tax-exemption-bill-is-insufficient-but-its-a-start

This is a senator trying to make Bitcoin capital gains tax exempt, and the crypto bros are saying the exemption limit is too low! This is the sort of thing I'm opposed to.
553   mell   2025 Jul 5, 9:58pm  

DeficitHawk says

This is a senator trying to make Bitcoin capital gains tax exempt, and the crypto bros are saying the exemption limit is too low! This is the sort of thing I'm opposed to.

Yes, same as for capital gains on sale of first home, they should lower capital gains across the board by getting rid of exemptions. Even short and long term distinction is bs. What if Joe schmoe hits it big with a stock but then desperately needs the money for unforeseen expenses? Why does he get punished with the regular income tax rate. Even better would be a low flat tax on any sort of income, be it day job(s) or investments. Do away with loopholes and keep it simple and fair.
554   DeficitHawk   2025 Jul 5, 10:18pm  

mell says

Do away with loopholes and keep it simple and fair.

YES!

Tax code that fits on a business card and you never need an accountant again. "Add up your income... pay this amount, no exceptions".

I'd add hsa/fsa, charitable donations, 501c organizations to the list of exclusions to get rid of. They just distort behavior and cause extra accounting burden.
555   Patrick   2025 Jul 5, 10:28pm  

I would like this too, but each of those loopholes was bought by some group seeking to benefit itself, and promoted by some Congressman who sponsored the bill to prove he was "doing something".

How can the rest of us fight such an old and well-oiled machine which creates complexity to benefit certain interests?
556   mell   2025 Jul 5, 10:31pm  

DeficitHawk says

mell says


Do away with loopholes and keep it simple and fair.

YES!

Tax code that fits on a business card and you never need an accountant again. "Add up your income... pay this amount, no exceptions".

I'd add hsa/fsa, charitable donations, 501c organizations to the list of exclusions to get rid of. They just distort behavior and cause extra accounting burden.

Absolutely, of course CPAs won't like it. You know though you won't find anyone on the left supporting a simple flat tax, probably neither on the mainstream Republican side, you likely would have to vote for a Libertarian of sorts. I would vote for a flat tax on any income, as long as it's 20% or below (roughly), the lower the better.
557   Misc   2025 Jul 5, 10:57pm  

mell says


DeficitHawk says


mell says


Do away with loopholes and keep it simple and fair.

YES!

Tax code that fits on a business card and you never need an accountant again. "Add up your income... pay this amount, no exceptions".

I'd add hsa/fsa, charitable donations, 501c organizations to the list of exclusions to get rid of. They just distort behavior and cause extra accounting burden.


Absolutely, of course CPAs won't like it. You know though you won't find anyone on the left supporting a simple flat tax, probably neither on the mainstream Republican side, you likely would have to vote for a Libertarian of sorts. I would vote for a flat tax on any income, as long as it's 20% or below (roughly), the lower the better.



Hey, how about a flat 3% tax based on a households assets??? --- That's fair, I mean everyone pays the same rate and it's a flat tax/
558   Misc   2025 Jul 5, 10:59pm  

A tax system can be easy or fair. It cannot be both.
559   HeadSet   2025 Jul 6, 7:00am  

mell says

I would vote for a flat tax on any income

That would be straight forward for W2 types, but what about businesses? The code would have to find a way to determine expenses and depreciation. Even a simple lawn company would have to figure how to expense the trucks, trailers, mowers and related equipment. It would be grossly unfair to tax his revenue as though it was net income.
560   HeadSet   2025 Jul 6, 7:06am  

DeficitHawk says

Tax code that fits on a business card and you never need an accountant again. "Add up your income... pay this amount, no exceptions".

So, only W2 types are taxed? Simple wage earners do not need accountants now and can do their federal income tax in minutes.
561   mell   2025 Jul 6, 8:01am  

HeadSet says

mell says


I would vote for a flat tax on any income

That would be straight forward for W2 types, but what about businesses? The code would have to find a way to determine expenses and depreciation. Even a simple lawn company would have to figure how to expense the trucks, trailers, mowers and related equipment. It would be grossly unfair to tax his revenue as though it was net income.

The CPAs could still own the more complex business tax codes ;) This was mainly for W2s yes.
562   DeficitHawk   2025 Jul 6, 9:12am  

Id let the first $20000 be 0%. then 25% after that, or whatever number would be needed to balance the budget... That would cover the 'progressive' in me. Flat vs not flat is not hard to manage.. its the deductions.

I'm sure peoples situations vary, but lots of W2 folks have complex tax situations. People have tax exempt FSA, they donate to charitable 501C, or their church/religious organization... they have continuing education... they have a tax credit for something, low income tax credit, childcare, healthcare deductions , solar panels/ev or whatever is being subsidized this week.. etc... they have some stock they hold that paid dividends, etc etc. It can get complicated quickly, especially when the state has different rules than the feds and it all has to be done separately. All of these things have some motivation why they exist in the tax code, but they still just distort behavior and cause accounting burden. I think we'd be better of if we get rid of all of it.
563   mell   2025 Jul 6, 9:17am  

Misc says

Hey, how about a flat 3% tax based on a households assets??? - That's fair, I mean everyone pays the same rate and it's a flat tax/

How would you trace assets held in other countries. While the problem is similar for gains from foreign assets it's easier to trace and tax distributions than assets which can easily be held in someone else's name. For domestic assets this would work easier.
564   DeficitHawk   2025 Jul 6, 9:57am  

Anyhow, Im sure there are different threads for tax policy.

I just dont want Bitcoin or Crypto to gain special status within our tax system, even though the crypto-bros are pushing hard for this.

Its just an asset. Buy it, sell it, and pay the taxes if there is a gain. Don't make the taxpayers become exit liquidity for the crypto-bros.

And don't let the government try to recognize crypto that is owned by a small set of bros as anything other than a taxable asset.
565   Maga_Chaos_Monkey   2025 Jul 6, 12:23pm  

DeficitHawk says

Don't make the taxpayers become exit liquidity


This is an imaginary boogeyman unless the govt is buying on margin and I haven't heard shiite about that.
566   HeadSet   2025 Jul 6, 1:31pm  

DeficitHawk says

Its just an asset. Buy it, sell it, and pay the taxes if there is a gain.

That is easy to calculate if someone buys Bitcoin with dollars and later sells that same Bitcoin for dollars. What about someone who is paid in Bitcoin and uses that Bitcoin to make a purchase at a later date? If I am paid for a job in Canadian dollars and later spend those Canadian dollars, is there a capital gain tax if the Canadian dollar gained in value to the American dollar?

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