Screen Junkies and Mass Enchantment

Some nights me and my girlfriend/fiancé relax on the coach and watch a film series on Netflix, just like anyone else. Sometimes we also both surf the internet or social media on our phones or dual each other on Supercells latest flourescent smiley Clash Royale game craze. All at once, it is a guilty pleasure I guess, it's soo luxurious to revel in such excessive levels of entertainment.

It is not yet decided what the full impact of this screen information technology might be on society.  We are experimenting as it grows, images become more vivid. Screams are popping up like technicolored tulips all around us and VR is next. Though me and my partner still find time to get outside, ride bikes and climb mountains, it is clear that we are combatting the force of the screens. Society is enchanted on mass by all this new tech and surreal imagery, it's in our lives, no matter how hard we try to resist it.

We are the first generation to be fully exposed to this. New parents don't know how much time to let their kids play on their screens. It was easier when it was just the TV to say just one hour a day. Now when the devices are also learning tools, portable communications and navigation devices, the lines are blurred. The kids are after the screens like candy and are taking two or more at once. I sometimes have five screens going, three computer screens a tablet and a phone. It does seem a lot like crack, i wouldn't recommend this for my kids. At work most people have more than one screen, I've seen some traders run eleven! I'm jealous of them, I feel I need more! At the hotel I'm at today there are even TV's in all the booths next to the pool. It looks bazaar then you consider that they are also above every bar counter, on the walls in restaurants and by the elevators, not to mention in all the rooms and, just in case we are all carrying portable units in all our pockets or purses. Never mind electrocution, clearly if you don't bring screens there isn't much of a pool party in this town.

To me this is kind of sickening. A withdrawal from reality and from living in the moment. I also think this wall of screens is part of the reason why many people are slow to get into Bitcoin and crypto currencies. When people already spend time trying to get away from the screens of work and generic hotel resorts, Bitcoin can seem like a step back into the digital void. Worse still, when they see a person like myself, who used to spend more time on sports and adventures in the outdoors, it can seem like and A class technological drug, one step up in buzz and addiction to the screens that people are used to.

Bitcoin and crypto currency are certainly advanced technology. Etherium could be likened to heroin for home programers. There are even social effects in the community which resemble addictions. Some enthusiast find themselves falling into a rabbit hole of crypto currency research and end up isolated, up all night, forgetting to shower and only able to relate to other enthusiast. This is strange because it's a concept, its not like looking at a screen or a drug, there is no specific act or drug. I argue that it is not the same type of addictiion. Bitcoin doesn't nail you to the couch and capture your attention with revenue grabbing flashing lights. It lets you reflect on the world and to learn things like coding that where once just an obscure magic. This can take a lot of time, but it can also make technology less overwhelming. Crypto currency inspires devoted fascination, but it is not a digital entertainment addiction.

To some a mix of technology and money seems like a monster to be avoided. Both concepts are mind boggling and very much a sideline to having fun in the moment. Crypto currencies are however a concept of the moment. They are actually designed to help us escape the monster that is our legacy financial system. They can reduce the influence of the financial system on our lives. Something the anti-money crowd can get behind. They are also often designed not to take over our lives with screens and actually reduce the amount of digital hardware required in our daily lives. One phone per person might even be a reduction. We can get rid of eftpos machines, credit cards, bank statements, adding bills, the continual pin numbers and personal information forms, the money changing when we are overseas and the currency calculations, the call centres and the lunch time queues. The new advancements can free us from the parts of technology that we don't like, making transactions a smaller part of our lives, in doing this they can give us more time to focus on nature and other things that matter.

Even so, mass enchantment is here to stay and screen addiction is on the rise. The latest move of world gaming company Steam, accepting bitcoin, is capitalising on this. It's a perfect match for 3D gaming screen junkies who do freelance programming for bitcoin. Crypto currencies are not going to stop this. We should however, be careful not to confuse bitcoin as an A Class side car for holographic harley screen lovers. Bitcoin is not really a digital tether and it could actually help us cut some cords. It's already curing some of the side effects of technology and our financial system that liberal environmentally conscious friends try to block out. Screens may be dividing society, but Bitcoin is not. Greenpeace even accepts bitcoin.

Why We Want MORE MORE MORE Bitcoins

The number of issues or emergency events on the bitcoin network is decreasing! It's been 6 months since the last one and they seem to be reducing overall. The status of the decentralised network and the up time is something any payments processor would be proud of.

Shell Companies, Shadow Banking and Restricting Transfers to Mexico

We have known about shell companies for a long time, but the Panama files are bringing the dubious practice into the spotlight. Three terabytes of spot light on the entrenched exploits of corporations and the wealthy, a file more than 40 times the size of the entire Bitcoin blockchain. The full extent of the information that is contained in the file will come out over the next weeks and months. Already many prominent figures have been exposed. Even so the Panama files only represent a fraction of the shell company and the offshore account tax avoidance industry. The size of the data alone is a testament to the efficiency of the blockchain system, not to mention the ability to easily measure and track the level of anonymous transactions.

The wide-ranging impact of the Panama files, stretching as far as our world leaders, illustrates the depth of secrecy in our current financial system. Shadow banking, which comes hand in hand with shell companies and offshore accounts, has been on the rise in recent years despite government AML laws (anti-money laundering) and other measures.

The shadow banking system makes up 25 to 30 percent of the total financial system, according to the Financial Stability Board (FSB), a regulatory task force for the world's group of top 20 economies (G20).
This sector was worth an estimated $60 trillion in 2010, compared to prior FSB estimates of $27 trillion in 2002.^[17][13] While the sector's assets declined during the global financial crisis, they have since returned to their pre-crisis peak^[18] except in the United States where they have declined substantially.

We can see that as the banking industry gathers more information on the bulk of the population though AML, they are allowing the 1% to slip off into the dark. Intricate legal structures shrouded with endless paper trails and a maze of international laws and privacy rights. Banks have always offered special services for their high-end customers and in part this can be expected in business, but this is clearly not up to public expectations. This is our government and our economic freedom and it's fair to say we want it to be the same for all. The Bitcoin system is the same for everyone, and dark payments are on the decline and easily measured.  Although precautions can be made to use bitcoin anonymously this is contrary to the natural state of the public ledger. In banking the natural state of a transaction and or a balance is secret. Bitcoin can be part of a solution to the shadow banking problem.

There is general discontent in society and the battle for attention is growing. Governments and international corporations like Apple and the FBI joust for public approval and justification of their actions. Countries play off each other for power in trade deals and struggle with new international organisations like the EU the UN and the IMF or even Greenpeace. Everyone needs a moral mandate, but even public opinion seems to be fractured and unsure of the correct path. Donald Trump's aka Drumpth's presidential bid is at the forefront of this discontent and confusion. His latest campaign message that he would make Mexico pay for a wall (between USA and Mexico) by threatening to prevent people from sending money across the border shows how fractured society has become.

Even if shell companies did not exist, and I'm sure Drumpth has many, and if international shadow banking didn't already have a growing base of willing clients. people who are aware of Crypto-currency technology know that what is being proposed is nearly impossible to achieve. A migrant worker can very easily send bitcoin home to their family in a way that nobody can censor. If only 1% of existing money transfers were to be made in bitcoin the math would increase the bitcoin price by $22. If that's not enough to get your attention try 20% or considering the whole world. Even so your jaw drops in disbelief if you calculate crypto-currency values based on the volume of the shadow banking sector. If the more secretive crypto-currency Dash were to be used for all shadow banking, a price of $571,428 could be expected. Math may be the one thing that is trustworthy given the state of society today, however, people still struggle to come to terms with the scale.

Drumpth's wacky agenda is not likely to happen, he bad mouthed somebody's wife, but maybe the odds are better than the local lottery. The potential bitcoin pay-off is similar. The likes of international corporations shell companies and shadow banking are not likely to change or subside unless the public forces them to. It might be that we muddle through and that Mexican workers living in the USA end up sending their money home through shell companies, shadow banking and things like amazon gift cards. This is the line in the sand for economic control. People want to be able to by things over the internet. It becomes clear that restrictive government policies only pose a threat to the conventional national organisations, and that this plays into bitcoin and other organisations operating at an international level. The struggle is becoming more vivid and as it plays out untrustworthy parties are exposed. As trust is slowly eroded many things will likely change, but trustless international systems like bitcoin and those created in other crupto-currencies stand to benefit in the wake. People's attention is scarce and fickle. Should protectionist economic policies come into favour, attention will likely be grabbed by another skyrocketing bitcoin price. Mexicans may just be sending their new money home to build nice modern ecotowers.

Touquet Accepts Bitcoin - Why Not?

Last week I met with my friend and showed him how he could accept in his restaurant. I wasn't hard, it doesn't cost anything to do. We had a tap beer and I talked to the owner Antoine, Ordrey and Kenny from of front of house. I showed them what to do and gave them some bitcoin tippers to put on the counters.

"How will people know what it is?"

I said, "Bitcoin people will know what they are, they are all pretty enthusiastic about it, you don't need to specifically promote it".

"The customer can even help you with if you're not sure about something. But all  you need to do is download an app on your phone."

"Whats it called?"

"Well there are hundred of apps that work, I recommended using Airbitz to start, this one is good because tourist who don't have an internet connection on can still pay you."

She download the app and we did a couple of test transactions.

These tippers can be used for easy, fun bitcoin tipping amd act as a subtle signal to bitcoin users that you accept bitcoin. Signs and stickers are also available but these are a great way to start. It's not to much of a comittment just setting up to accept bitcoin for tips and I feel they also quickly get accross the elegance of the bitcoin system, that is, that you don't need much at all to make it work.  The guys at Touqet quickly figured out how easy and free it is to accept bitcoin. At the same time i think people get a little inspired by the idea,

I want to turn Auckland New Zealand into a Bitcoin hub. A place where you can pay for your whole holiday with international money value crypto energy stuff. In this quest I'm going to set up the coolest resyaurants in town, of which there are quite a few. The food is great here and the people are open minded.

Bitcoin can be a strange thing for non-technical types who havn't tried it, but I think they were impressed by how easy it is and how cool and impowering the idea is. Next step bitcoin meetup at Touquet! Promotions and cruise ships! Contact me here if you want a tipper and i'll make you one, I have them laser cut in card and can make sure you keep your money totally safe. Otherwise you can even make your own here. 

Touquet is on the bitcoin map in the South Pacific!

Bitcoin Fighting The One Percent

The 1% wealth issue is a big concern for many crypto currency users. This concept of dysfunction in the current system has been part of what has formed the appeal of the alternative monetary systems. However, it appears that bitcoin is at least not immune to the concentration of wealth.

Charts from https://letstalkbitcoin.com/blog/post/rise-of-the-zombie-bitcoins

On investigation of the bitcoin rich list, which in itself is a testament to transparency. I have found something that I think calls for further investigation. There are 8 addresses that are all holding just under and almost exactly 66,600 bitcoins! This currently valued at over $28 million USD is not likely to be just a coincidence.

Is there a group within which there is some agreed maximum level? Who are these people? All these address's show similar behavior. Could this be a sign that at the top there are people working to prevent too much wealth centralisation? Or could all these addresses be held by the same entity? They would then control over 528,000 bitcoins. That is 221 million dollars today! It would be a large organisation in the bitcoin world. These addresses would certainly be able to shine more light on what the real wealth divide is in the bitcoin world.

Details as follows:
7
$ 28,701,364.50
66,583.22
1KiVwxEuGBYavyKrxkLncJt2pQ5YUUQX7f
8
$ 28,644,827.68
66,452.07
1PnMfRF2enSZnR6JSexxBHuQnxG8Vo5FVK
9
$ 28,613,249.67
66,378.81
1AhTjUMztCihiTyA4K6E3QEpobjWLwKhkR
10
$ 28,551,614.41
66,235.82
1DiHDQMPFu4p84rkLn6Majj2LCZZZRQUaa
11
$ 28,550,715.10
66,233.74
1EBHA1ckUWzNKN7BMfDwGTx6GKEbADUozX
12
$ 28,538,531.47
66,205.47
14e7XAZbepQp9MXXzjNG3fNLoAUpaBAXHW
13
$ 28,523,540.24
66,170.70
1PB4xXUFyy4kSNqroCBVaQuCuw9VcN3be4
14
$ 28,520,414.69
66,163.45
18f1yugoAJuXcHAbsuRVLQC9TezJ6iVRLp

All these addresses were active until the end of 2014 and none of them have had any withdrawals. this might suggest that they may even be paper wallets. The largest recent transactions are of most note. However these trails quickly become dispersed as many of these contributing addresses appear to use brainwallets  and coin consolidating transfers which mask their identities.

Initial transactions are also a good place to start. Addresses 7 and 8, 10, 12, 13 and 14 all received a large and almost equal amount of funds from the same address in a simultaneous transfer. This suggests some kind of connection

The answer may already be out there. A lot of volunteer investigation goes on. Online articles on the subject are have been common in the past, but many are now comically in need of updating. I found this one from Forbes when bitcoin was worth $6.50. Some forums even link some of these addresses to Mt Gox. There are so many opinions that it becomes difficult to know who to trust. An authoritative source on rich list identities would be a valuable asset to the community. Information is freely available. but after some hours of investigation, no simple conclusive answer can be found.

Many of these addresses contain public notes which have been written into the blockchain. This is where people have sent money to these addresses in the hope of receiving larger payments in return. Many of them are the same, as someone people have annoyingly appealed to all these addresses separately, creating false linkages on the blockchain.

"Public Note: Good afternoon! Your help is necessary. My wife has a problem with health, treatment is necessary (we expect a baby). If you have some unnecessary btc or satosh, please, help, we will rejoice any help."

"Public Note: i see many people here begging for money, but i`m looking for an investor for my app-idea.Mr. Zuckerberg payed for Whatsapp $19 bil. My app will be used worldwide.i tried to get money this way: milliondollarsapp.com. Do you want to be my private investor?"

And others even offer email addresses.

"Public Note: No1 Bitcoin Program 200days online FinMutual https://finmutual.com/?ref=yonce my email: yoncedownline@gmail.com"

Though simply a bazaar distraction, it's amazing that there are these kinds of things out there to be found. How successful have these digital beggars have been? I await a reply from the person above. It also sparks the idea, whether it may be worth spamming or politically pressuring these account holders in this way. This micro-donation spamming provides a direct method of communication

As in the fiat financial system, we must understand that the one percenters may not want to be identified. Some of them even may have earned their money illegitimately. In 2013 after silk road was shut down the FBI was in the top 10. Since then there have been government auctions and some anonymity has been lost for these coins. Over time, it can become harder to maintain an anonymous profile in bitcoin. When coins are spent identity becomes increasingly harder to conceal. This leaves any criminal millionaires left in a difficult position as, at the same time, the longer they hold their coins the more likely they will be detected.

Most of the owners of these bitcoins are likely legitimate. they may even be linked to a popular company. As yet I have come up empty handed. Bitcoin investigation though freely available has much to be developed. It may have already become so vast that it is insurmountable by the individual. Companies like Elliptic attempt to chart these flows of funds and offer some resources for free. Possibilities of transparency are much higher than the levels that we accept today. Blockchain investigation on this may always be expensive and time-consuming, working against people who do not want to be found. It may be better to use people power to change this. We can spam their addresses, but this requires generosity on the part of the poorest bitcoiners. A clever twist learned from the beggars.

We could spam these addresses with political requests for them to expose their identity.  A petition could be put up requesting signatures of bitcoiners on a public site, and that site could then forward the request to the rich bitcoiners through a small payment with a message and link. Shall we band together to find out what's going on in bitcoins royal coffers?

It is not clear whether wealth inequality is an issue with bitcoin, but it is clear that we can do something about it.

If you would like me to do this, please comment below, this page will form the petition. Once sufficient support is gathered I will send a single message to the top 14 bitcoin addresses, linking to this page. Hopefully the willing holders will identify themselves through a small transfer in return. This is not a fight against anonymity, but for transparency, even pseudonyms would do. The more support we have the more likely they will be to reveal their identities.

Price Level Consensus

For all this talk about core and classic and coding consensus. Talk about a lack of consensus leading to downward pressure on the price, talk about transaction taking 40 minutes, I've had been using bitcoin more than ever in the last few weeks and haven't had any problems.  It seems clear to me that people are thoroughly invested and prepared to solve any problems that may arise in the future. In depth talk about the need for consensus may be syndrome of anxiety that seems so common in our modern society. Bitcoiners tend to be very sensitive, normal people have bigger things to worry about.

The idea of consensus does bring a new concept spring to mind. With so much energy focused on it how would we fair if we aimed for a pricing consensus.

Volatility in price has been a major issue for bitcoin adoption. People do hesitate to invest in something that can move so wildly. This volatility has been reducing with the price hovering around the $400 USD level for 2016. If we could agree to hold the price at this level we would create value and aid adoption of bitcoin.

This is something all traders can actively have a hand in, something that we can actually control relatively easily. It also feels now that holding a floor of $400 USD (or 2500 Yuan) would not be difficult. Neither would creating a long term average of $500 USD (or 3000 Yuan). These are useful and commanding numbers. When you tell newbies about them they feel like it is strong and significant.


The moon is a always very tempting when it come in to sight however the purpose of this in devour would not be profit but for the unity. Something akin to the whale club but one that actively encourages stability. As the group grows there will be a great sense of community and once established the effect on the price action will be empowering to those who are involved.

Share this post and help hold the value stable at these levels with your trading. This will help build community and promote adoption. Shareable poster images are on my profile. With people power we can create stability. By developing price consensus we may even get more stability than the currencies we are comparing to!

#priceconsensus

Lie Low Laxing in a Radical February

Whilst world news has been off the crazy charts, Banks have been advertising with dancing transsexuals. Go the pride parade! We have shooting in the USA, and silicon valley ad odds with Washington. Bitcoin and Crypto currency have been remarkably sensible and subdued. Something odd for a juvenile rebel currency, but hey, It's relaxing!

The price has been stable at around $420 USD per Bitcoin (you could say 42 cents per millibit). I'm looking out the window to another sunny day back in Auckland New Zealand and finally starting to eat again. I can even buy fries at the local bitcoin meet up. Its great, I may even pump up the lie low and some rum cocktails, but first I want to take the opportunity to list a few cool things about crypto currency that I have stumbled into.

MyBitcoinSaver - set up an automatic payment and save bitcoin in New Zealand.

Keepkey - a cool looking device to keep bitcoins super secure.

BTproof - Lets you put any data you want into the block chain, so you can prove the truth with a forge proof time stamp. Make predictions or cement your vows.

Abra - a network of people who act like uber human ATM machines.

So on those four notes I'm going to continue chilling, finding new apps, trying to learn to code and to create a bitcoin friendly tourist paradise in Auckland. I have JS just about down. I also have a VR kit in the mail courtesy of Overstock. I guess that makes NZ the on the fore front of tech? Maybe Apple should move it's head office here?

We have radical corporate noodle banks, maybe they'll let you pay your staff in bitcoin. A one cent satoshi doesn't seem so out of place.