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Topic: Bitcoin bank accounts - maybe sooner than we think? (Read 5752 times)

hero member
Activity: 672
Merit: 500
Why would you centralize something which essence is being decentralized?

I am seeking a patent for water that isn't wet.
Ice?
Technically not water, it's ice.

Technically it is water.  Ice is just one state of water (solid), the others being liquid and gas.
sr. member
Activity: 280
Merit: 250
You would trust your entire Bitcoin safekeeping to China?

Why not? I trust China more than America or Britain. If it wasn't America or Britain. We wouldn't have so many war or economy crisis.
sr. member
Activity: 375
Merit: 250
I don't know how it would be implemented but it is quite possible that private wallet insurance might emerge.
I'll believe it as soon as someone presents a pricing scheme for it that is both affordable and actuarially sound.

Insurance isn't magic pixie dust - doing it correctly means having the ability to accurately calculate the risk of insured losses, and for that risk to be low enough that customers are willing to pay for it (either directly via premiums, or indirectly via opportunity cost).
I agree.  By "how it would be implemented" I was thinking that it will necessarily be bound to the wallet owner following some provable steps of safe keeping.  After all, one of the events that you would want insured is the theft of btc by sweeping into another wallet.  So there would need to be a way to show that the policy holder wasn't just stealing their own money and then putting in a claim.


But I assume the bank would have exclusive control of private key. And yes if someone confirm transaction with password+SMS code+yubi key he cant complain it was not him
sr. member
Activity: 260
Merit: 250
I don't know how it would be implemented but it is quite possible that private wallet insurance might emerge.
I'll believe it as soon as someone presents a pricing scheme for it that is both affordable and actuarially sound.

Insurance isn't magic pixie dust - doing it correctly means having the ability to accurately calculate the risk of insured losses, and for that risk to be low enough that customers are willing to pay for it (either directly via premiums, or indirectly via opportunity cost).
I agree.  By "how it would be implemented" I was thinking that it will necessarily be bound to the wallet owner following some provable steps of safe keeping.  After all, one of the events that you would want insured is the theft of btc by sweeping into another wallet.  So there would need to be a way to show that the policy holder wasn't just stealing their own money and then putting in a claim.
legendary
Activity: 1400
Merit: 1009
I don't know how it would be implemented but it is quite possible that private wallet insurance might emerge.
I'll believe it as soon as someone presents a pricing scheme for it that is both affordable and actuarially sound.

Insurance isn't magic pixie dust - doing it correctly means having the ability to accurately calculate the risk of insured losses, and for that risk to be low enough that customers are willing to pay for it (either directly via premiums, or indirectly via opportunity cost).
hero member
Activity: 812
Merit: 1000
Act #Neutral,Think y'self as a citizen of Universe
You're assuming that it's possible to create workable deposit insurance for BTC.

It is as long as bank has physical assets (these can be sold off to buy stolen BTC back)
sr. member
Activity: 280
Merit: 257
bluemeanie
The point that is being missed is insurance - if you're computer gets hacked and you lose all your BTC then it's simply "tough luck".

Devices like the Trezor may get us there without the need of a 3rd party but I think given the option quite a few people (especially the elderly and non-technically minded) would rather trust a bank than themselves.


I tend to think that people would develop better personal security systems if there was a need for them.  You could rig up some kind of system using very cheap commodity hardware, smart cards, etc. to make a crypto-bank account possible on a PC with open source software and less possibility of misplacing your credentials.  I just dont think there is much of a need at this point, Bitcoin is only used for a few classes of transactions.  At one point they tried to work SmartCard readers into Mozilla.

here's a USB Smart Card Reader for $15.99  http://www.staples.com/office/supplies/StaplesProductDisplay?storeId=10001&catalogIdentifier=2&partNumber=IM1RH9702&langid=-1&cid=PS:GooglePLAs:IM1RH9702&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=33-197953902-2
sr. member
Activity: 260
Merit: 250
I don't know how it would be implemented but it is quite possible that private wallet insurance might emerge.  It might be offered as a an option with a trezor-like or other physical wallet product.
sr. member
Activity: 280
Merit: 257
bluemeanie
You would trust your entire Bitcoin safekeeping to China?
If there would be interest on balance AND deposit insurance I would try.

I show how it can be done with Confidence Chains : https://bitcointalksearch.org/topic/a-peer-to-peer-bond-auction-system-using-confidence-chains-324106

You can get FDIC insurance by simply opening a real bank account and then basing the asset on the deposits in that bank account.  Thus you have a crypto-security that is FDIC insured(more or less).

Given what's been happening in the banking world I think the stronghold of FDIC might even come under question at some point in the future.

People can design any kind of investment device they want with the Bond Auction system, you can loan money out to your friends and your interest comes from their successes.  To build more stability create a fund and a pool of loans.  Sounds more like something Bitcoin people could appreciate.  Remember when you open a savings account with Wells Fargo, your money is going to all the people who are consistently reviled on this list.
legendary
Activity: 1078
Merit: 1001
Bitcoin is new, makes sense to hodl.
if paypal add btc, we'll laugh at dwolla to throw their lead away
legendary
Activity: 1148
Merit: 1010
In Satoshi I Trust
dont think so but for normal people it would be a nice idea. the normal guy who isnt tech savy dont want (or should) have his money on a computer.

maybe some day, the Fidor Bank in germany will do it. until now they work together with the biggest german exchange bitcoin.de
sr. member
Activity: 938
Merit: 255
SmartFi - EARN, LEND & TRADE
I doubt bankers would initiate mass adoption.
legendary
Activity: 1890
Merit: 1072
Ian Knowles - CIYAM Lead Developer
The point that is being missed is insurance - if you're computer gets hacked and you lose all your BTC then it's simply "tough luck".
You're assuming that it's possible to create workable deposit insurance for BTC.

Insurance would most likely only be in the form of fiat - but I would rather get back 90% of the current fiat value of my BTC than to lose it all to a hacker.
legendary
Activity: 1400
Merit: 1009
The point that is being missed is insurance - if you're computer gets hacked and you lose all your BTC then it's simply "tough luck".
You're assuming that it's possible to create workable deposit insurance for BTC.

Central banks get away with it by using the printing press and taxation, when they choose to protect depositors at all.
legendary
Activity: 1890
Merit: 1072
Ian Knowles - CIYAM Lead Developer
The point that is being missed is insurance - if you're computer gets hacked and you lose all your BTC then it's simply "tough luck".

Devices like the Trezor may get us there without the need of a 3rd party but I think given the option quite a few people (especially the elderly and non-technically minded) would rather trust a bank than themselves.
sr. member
Activity: 370
Merit: 250
You would trust your entire Bitcoin safekeeping to China?

Don't have to. I'm my own bank
ar9
sr. member
Activity: 352
Merit: 250
I really do not see the need or purpose of a Bitcoin bank.
I would employ anyone who thinks they need this service to look into Bitcoin security measures for themselves.

Once banks get involved, Bitcoin's ultimate purpose is undermined to a rather extensive degree.
legendary
Activity: 1400
Merit: 1009
Many people will think that giving their bitcoins to a third party to hold for them is a good idea.

They'll learn their lesson, sooner or later.
legendary
Activity: 1890
Merit: 1072
Ian Knowles - CIYAM Lead Developer
Wow - quite a few replies - and some good points.

Where I see *banks* fitting in is simply giving you the convenience to transfer funds in and out of BTC via online banking and in insuring your BTC asset (something that I think might be important to those less tech savvy than many of the members of this forum).
legendary
Activity: 3388
Merit: 4615
There are already several bitcoin banks and they are all already quite popular (inputs.io, mtgox.com, bitstamp.com, etc)  Or are you talking about insured, regulated accounts?
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