We just tend to over analyze everything in crypto. This is so simple, "Hey, want $10 of UNO?" We agree on the current price, I send IMZ the coin, you send me a $10 US bill in the mail, we confirm and complete. Finished in 2-3 days tops. For example. We really should be doing this a lot, and for smaller amounts between us regulars im not even too worried about escrowing I'm just throwing that out there.
We can decouple from Bitcoin in ways of anonymity from the exchange markets and from BTC value lock by using and buying coins for cash instead of involving Bitcoin. IF, anyone wants to try this, It's very simple and inexpensive, and pretty safe to fold a $5 bill in a piece of paper and mail it in a security envelope. The cost or "transaction fee" being a bit higher just for the price of the stamp. Obviously with trusted traders and through escrow I'd say we can easily buy in cash bills in any increments, $5, 10, 20, 50, or a $100 worth, transaction fee is pretty much only the cost of a stamp. Which I had to go look, is currently $.49 cents a stamp here. So that's a bit of a steep fee for only $5, but that's a judgement call on the buyer. What would an exchange charge to buy 5 worth with BTC? AND are you paying a markup or fee to buy that BTC? I'm tired of all the exchanges personally, and so I'd rather use cash, and I'd rather not involve or use a bank account(In fact I WON'T use a bank account for crypto). Defeats the entire purpose of cryptocurrency. We've gotten away from the fundamentals.
@IMZ: That's about 3-4 hardforks for ETH since it's inception now, right? That cumbersome relational database is a mess. It's not a cryptocurrency. The silver may be here today, in my area there's no storm coming until late tonight or tomorrow, and it's noon now and mail will go in the next hour or two. Yes, international bullion isn't so very cost effective, but I intend on paying you your effort, shipping, etc. for it because I like the fact I've bought silver once from the Netherlands, and now twice from Australia with using only Unobtanium. Gives it a cool personal touch.
Sorry, ONE last thing that bears mentioning about using UNO. The network is currently so underutilized that sending a transaction half the time doesn't even cost you a transaction fee. Can't do that with Bitcoin. Won't always be this way, but we are using a greatly underutilized and secure blockchain to transact.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVqqWUyDPzALOL