Author

Topic: To mine or to buy? [Split from: Review of the SP10 „Dawson“ 1.4TH/s miner] (Read 773 times)

hero member
Activity: 756
Merit: 501
yes but you are both ignoring USA tax law:

 buying coins and holding is capital gain passive investment income.
buying a miner is self employment income  it is active.

so for USA investing in coin vs mining with coin involves   different tax laws.

I realize  neither one will earn  fiat money if btc drops   in fiat price.


But if btc rises in fiat price both will profit  and if you are USA based you will have different tax laws to follow.

US tax law makes it extremely undesirable to reinvest BTC into mining hardware.  If you buy gear with BTC you need to pay the short term capital gains on your BTC.  That is an extra 20-45% that your mining hardware has to earn before you have a profit on the purchase.  Plus you can only depreciate the hardware cost over 5-7 years, so most of the earning from the new equipment will be taxed as ordinary income.

Since pricing of hardware barely supports break even as it is - a US miner reinvesting BTC is literally throwing BTC away by purchasing today.
legendary
Activity: 1904
Merit: 1007
I have another idea to cut the noise.    For $4495, I just bought 9.35 BTC and did not have to wait until May to get the bitcoin and it made almost no noise producing them.
Or, you can give them $4495 now, and if the network only grows to 60PH/s by mid May (good luck with that), your noisy machine will start producing 0.08 bitcoin a day.
It will only take you around 6 months to get the 9.35 coins that you could have in an instant IF everything goes perfectly.   Sound like a good deal?
Bitcoin goes to 1000$-2000$, you change them to fiat. After a few more months bitcoin goes to 5000$. You lose.
Your logic does not flow.   Purchasing the coin NOW is more profitable than pre-ordering even if everything goes perfectly on your pre-order.    Assuming what someone does at different prices (exchange rates) does not change that.

Yep, buying BTC coin at $490 is a great idea. That is until you panic-sell at $200.
Spurious.    how does that affect an analysis on whether it is better to buy a machine that will produce bitcoin over a period in the future or buy bitcoin on an exchange right now?


I wasn't comparing mining vs speculating. I was simply stating that speculating is not without risk either. I lost my ass with my brief experiment with trading but I've made a positive ROI with mining. What works for one person might not work for another. I'm not built for trading. Mining might not be as lucrative but it's a whole helluva lot more fun... for me.

This! +1 I'm find myself in the same position. That's why i love mining and my heart loves me for doing it.
legendary
Activity: 4326
Merit: 8950
'The right to privacy matters'
yes but you are both ignoring USA tax law:

 buying coins and holding is capital gain passive investment income.
buying a miner is self employment income  it is active.

so for USA investing in coin vs mining with coin involves   different tax laws.

I realize  neither one will earn  fiat money if btc drops   in fiat price.


But if btc rises in fiat price both will profit  and if you are USA based you will have different tax laws to follow.
hero member
Activity: 784
Merit: 1004
Glow Stick Dance!
I have another idea to cut the noise.    For $4495, I just bought 9.35 BTC and did not have to wait until May to get the bitcoin and it made almost no noise producing them.
Or, you can give them $4495 now, and if the network only grows to 60PH/s by mid May (good luck with that), your noisy machine will start producing 0.08 bitcoin a day.
It will only take you around 6 months to get the 9.35 coins that you could have in an instant IF everything goes perfectly.   Sound like a good deal?
Bitcoin goes to 1000$-2000$, you change them to fiat. After a few more months bitcoin goes to 5000$. You lose.
Your logic does not flow.   Purchasing the coin NOW is more profitable than pre-ordering even if everything goes perfectly on your pre-order.    Assuming what someone does at different prices (exchange rates) does not change that.

Yep, buying BTC coin at $490 is a great idea. That is until you panic-sell at $200.
Spurious.    how does that affect an analysis on whether it is better to buy a machine that will produce bitcoin over a period in the future or buy bitcoin on an exchange right now?


I wasn't comparing mining vs speculating. I was simply stating that speculating is not without risk either. I lost my ass with my brief experiment with trading but I've made a positive ROI with mining. What works for one person might not work for another. I'm not built for trading. Mining might not be as lucrative but it's a whole helluva lot more fun... for me.
legendary
Activity: 2478
Merit: 1020
Be A Digital Miner
I have another idea to cut the noise.    For $4495, I just bought 9.35 BTC and did not have to wait until May to get the bitcoin and it made almost no noise producing them.
Or, you can give them $4495 now, and if the network only grows to 60PH/s by mid May (good luck with that), your noisy machine will start producing 0.08 bitcoin a day.
It will only take you around 6 months to get the 9.35 coins that you could have in an instant IF everything goes perfectly.   Sound like a good deal?
Bitcoin goes to 1000$-2000$, you change them to fiat. After a few more months bitcoin goes to 5000$. You lose.
Your logic does not flow.   Purchasing the coin NOW is more profitable than pre-ordering even if everything goes perfectly on your pre-order.    Assuming what someone does at different prices (exchange rates) does not change that.

Yep, buying BTC coin at $490 is a great idea. That is until you panic-sell at $200.
Spurious.    how does that affect an analysis on whether it is better to buy a machine that will produce bitcoin over a period in the future or buy bitcoin on an exchange right now?
hero member
Activity: 784
Merit: 1004
Glow Stick Dance!
I have another idea to cut the noise.    For $4495, I just bought 9.35 BTC and did not have to wait until May to get the bitcoin and it made almost no noise producing them.
Or, you can give them $4495 now, and if the network only grows to 60PH/s by mid May (good luck with that), your noisy machine will start producing 0.08 bitcoin a day.
It will only take you around 6 months to get the 9.35 coins that you could have in an instant IF everything goes perfectly.   Sound like a good deal?
Bitcoin goes to 1000$-2000$, you change them to fiat. After a few more months bitcoin goes to 5000$. You lose.
Your logic does not flow.   Purchasing the coin NOW is more profitable than pre-ordering even if everything goes perfectly on your pre-order.    Assuming what someone does at different prices (exchange rates) does not change that.

Yep, buying BTC coin at $490 is a great idea. That is until you panic-sell at $200.
legendary
Activity: 2478
Merit: 1020
Be A Digital Miner
I have another idea to cut the noise.    For $4495, I just bought 9.35 BTC and did not have to wait until May to get the bitcoin and it made almost no noise producing them.
Or, you can give them $4495 now, and if the network only grows to 60PH/s by mid May (good luck with that), your noisy machine will start producing 0.08 bitcoin a day.
It will only take you around 6 months to get the 9.35 coins that you could have in an instant IF everything goes perfectly.   Sound like a good deal?
Bitcoin goes to 1000$-2000$, you change them to fiat. After a few more months bitcoin goes to 5000$. You lose.
Your logic does not flow.   Purchasing the coin NOW is more profitable than pre-ordering even if everything goes perfectly on your pre-order.    Assuming what someone does at different prices (exchange rates) does not change that.
legendary
Activity: 1904
Merit: 1007
I have another idea to cut the noise.    For $4495, I just bought 9.35 BTC and did not have to wait until May to get the bitcoin and it made almost no noise producing them.
Or, you can give them $4495 now, and if the network only grows to 60PH/s by mid May (good luck with that), your noisy machine will start producing 0.08 bitcoin a day.
It will only take you around 6 months to get the 9.35 coins that you could have in an instant IF everything goes perfectly.   Sound like a good deal?

Bitcoin goes to 1000$-2000$, you change them to fiat. After a few more months bitcoin goes to 5000$. You lose.
legendary
Activity: 2478
Merit: 1020
Be A Digital Miner
I have another idea to cut the noise.    For $4495, I just bought 9.35 BTC and did not have to wait until May to get the bitcoin and it made almost no noise producing them.
Or, you can give them $4495 now, and if the network only grows to 60PH/s by mid May (good luck with that), your noisy machine will start producing 0.08 bitcoin a day.
It will only take you around 6 months to get the 9.35 coins that you could have in an instant IF everything goes perfectly.   Sound like a good deal?
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