Yeah, I agree with all of that... but for most people it's not reasonable to expect them to do things the old way and be self-sufficient. It's a way of life most people have moved away from, so these people need a common token of exchange. In a worst-case scenario these people probably won't have the resources to make it and you're right, bitcoin or gold wouldn't save them.
But what about a less severe scenario, like a slow descent into fiat currency endgame (which I find more likely than complete and sudden collapse), where people have time to adapt and make decisions to protect themselves. People would still be producing things, still go to work and earn a paycheck, but everyone is looking for a way to protect themselves from devaluation. They would naturally have to consider a competing currency, like crypto.
And long as people are given a choice and it’s brought in slow, adoption will go smooth. Businesses were used to dealing with cash and cheque, and when debt was introduced they still accepted cash and moved away from cheque’s due to the problems associated with them. Very few businesses don’t accept cash and all but the smallest businesses accept debit. If they can bring in bitcoin machines alongside the countries fiat, AND incorporate it into the same debit machine you’ll see ease of adoption. But if you have to have shopkeeps running two different machines, one for fiat one for crypto, keep track daily of what the crypto exchange is similar to say having an exchange rate for USD in a Canadian resterant, you’ve added a headache most small businesses don’t want to deal with. And another machine to cash out at the end of the day. At the end of the day, you just wanna go home not double your til work.
Add in this is only for one crypto currency, bitcoin. If you want multiple coins usable for commerce, I can’t see it being done outside of major retailers. Walmart, Amazon, maybe car dealerships would take monero instead of bitcoin but the local small grocery store or mom and pop hardware store won’t want bitcoin/ethereum/monero/doge etc etc coins to keep track of.
The "bitcoin machine" is something almost everyone already has - a smartphone. You scan a QR code posted at the register and send an amount agreed upon by the shop owner and customer. Failing that, you could use a cold wallet to authorize a transaction on the shop-owner's phone or computer. Bitcoin or any altcoin works the same way. I guess I just don't see this as a technological hurdle like you do.
The small town nearby me still has dialup for the debit machine at the General store. Cell service is spotty, and when the building is metal roof and sides you get barely to no cell signals through. I bought a cell booster for our farmhouse and that alone cost me $700, to use the cell phone for bitcoin transactions in small towns isn’t always feasible.
My own area has very limited and oversold satellite internet for high speed and nothing else available yet. There’s supposed to be new service coming, but it’s been delayed on roll out. Was expected last autumn but here it is nearly spring next year and no arrival date to speak of yet.
You’ve first hand experience with the banks being shady. I’ve firsthand experience with rural technology being behind the times. Having a unified worldwide currency when we don’t have worldwide standard conditions of technology feels like a major hurdle to me when the currency is terribly reliant on technology.
Yeah, I agree with all of that... but for most people it's not reasonable to expect them to do things the old way and be self-sufficient. It's a way of life most people have moved away from, so these people need a common token of exchange. In a worst-case scenario these people probably won't have the resources to make it and you're right, bitcoin or gold wouldn't save them.
But what about a less severe scenario, like a slow descent into fiat currency endgame (which I find more likely than complete and sudden collapse), where people have time to adapt and make decisions to protect themselves. People would still be producing things, still go to work and earn a paycheck, but everyone is looking for a way to protect themselves from devaluation. They would naturally have to consider a competing currency, like crypto.
And long as people are given a choice and it’s brought in slow, adoption will go smooth. Businesses were used to dealing with cash and cheque, and when debt was introduced they still accepted cash and moved away from cheque’s due to the problems associated with them. Very few businesses don’t accept cash and all but the smallest businesses accept debit. If they can bring in bitcoin machines alongside the countries fiat, AND incorporate it into the same debit machine you’ll see ease of adoption. But if you have to have shopkeeps running two different machines, one for fiat one for crypto, keep track daily of what the crypto exchange is similar to say having an exchange rate for USD in a Canadian resterant, you’ve added a headache most small businesses don’t want to deal with. And another machine to cash out at the end of the day. At the end of the day, you just wanna go home not double your til work. Add in this is only for one crypto currency, bitcoin. If you want multiple coins usable for commerce, I can’t see it being done outside of major retailers. Walmart, Amazon, maybe car dealerships would take monero instead of bitcoin but the local small grocery store or mom and pop hardware store won’t want bitcoin/ethereum/monero/doge etc etc coins to keep track of.
The "bitcoin machine" is something almost everyone already has - a smartphone. You scan a QR code posted at the register and send an amount agreed upon by the shop owner and customer. Failing that, you could use a cold wallet to authorize a transaction on the shop-owner's phone or computer. Bitcoin or any altcoin works the same way. I guess I just don't see this as a technological hurdle like you do.
The small town nearby me still has dialup for the debit machine at the General store. Cell service is spotty, and when the building is metal roof and sides you get barely to no cell signals through. I bought a cell booster for our farmhouse and that alone cost me $700, to use the cell phone for bitcoin transactions in small towns isn’t always feasible. My own area has very limited and oversold satellite internet for high speed and nothing else available yet. There’s supposed to be new service coming, but it’s been delayed on roll out. Was expected last autumn but here it is nearly spring next year and no arrival date to speak of yet. You’ve first hand experience with the banks being shady. I’ve firsthand experience with rural technology being behind the times. Having a unified worldwide currency when we don’t have worldwide standard conditions of technology feels like a major hurdle to me when the currency is terribly reliant on technology.