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Main => General Discussion => Topic started by: Nimrod on February 19, 2014, 02:00:33 pm

Title: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: Nimrod on February 19, 2014, 02:00:33 pm
Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX

Before the description of this question, I would like to talk about my understanding of how BitUSD will anchor to USD.
(If you have been to the bitfinex Futures Exchange(bitfinex.com), you should know that nowadays the BTC futures prices on bitfinex anchor to the BTC prices on Bitstamp by selling short or buying long.)


BTSX anchors to USD in the same way. The difference is that 796 uses BTC as collateral while BTSX uses XTS.)

What kind of price reference is uesd to anchor to 1USD by 1BitUSD?

For example:

Assume that, the price of 1XTS now in centralized exchange market is 20USD.

Then we make  1BitUSD=1USD,
which means    1BitUSD=0.05XTS=1USD.
 

Normally, 1BitUSD should be close to 0.05XTS in the BTSX system.
 

When we sell short or buy long, we must refer to the XTS price in centralized exchange market.
 

Assume that n is the price of long buying and short selling in BTSX, and m is the real-time price in centralized exchange market,
then the indicative price formula will be: n * m = 1.

In the example above, it will be 0.05*20=1

We can see that the higher the XTS price m is, the lower the n is.
 
And here comes my question, isn't the 4-million system setting too few?

Maybe you would say electronic currency is infinitely divided and there's no the so-called "too few".If 1XTS is bullish to 200USD, 1BitUSD in BTSX would tumble to 0.005XTS.When we refer to price to sell short or buy long in BTSX, it's not that intuitive just like centralized exchange which uses legal tender to settlement directly. We still need to determine what kind of price to operate by refering to the real-time price in centralized exchange.There is already a calculation made in this process. If the transaction price is the decimal 0.00X, it will add calculation burden undoubtedly.I read a report yesterday. It said one of the reasons why Dogecoin was on the rise was its enormous amount, which made small transactions more convenient and intuitive.  It also said for most of people , the ability to do mental arithmetic was not strong. It would be a headache to see many decimal places.

I think it makes sense. 56.3mBTC is surely more intuitive than 0.0563BTC. Definitely for an excellent product design, the easier to use, the better.This is very important. Our human brain isn't omnipotent. It has been processing massive data all the time. So in order to be more efficient, it would like to accept more intuitive and simple data to cut down calculation amount. If the learning cost is too high, it will keep people stay away.


So my advice is:
In order to let BTSX be easier to use, I suggest using mXTS as default unit directly in the very beginning of BTSX's first release.
 (Refering to BTC, once XTS is used to be the default unit, it won't be easy to change mXTS as the common unit any more. Besides, I believe a small unit is more beneficial for market depth.)


I believe that, 50mXTS*0.02USD will make BTSX system more simple and elegant than 0.05XTS*
20USD. Just let those guys in centralized exchange do the decimal math. And they like cheaper coin better, i mean, which seems cheaper.
 
One thing I would like to add:
Why will changing a smaller default unit be more intuitive? Because most of numbers we  usually see are integers. Comparing to how much 0.001347 is bigger than 0.000134, we are more familiar with how much 1347 is bigger than 134.
 
Another reason is that we have a familiar integer algorithm. Ten 1 is ten, ten 10 is a hundred, ten 100 is a thousand.
We've got familiar conversion rules about the number on the left of decimal point. But on the right of it, we have nothing. We can count 53672 fifty-three thousand six hundred and seventy-two. But when it comes to 0.53672, we can only read it zero point five three six seven two. There is no "ten 0.01 is ?" any more.
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: alt on February 19, 2014, 03:08:02 pm
 +5% +5% +5% +5% +5%
or change amount of xts from 4,000,000 to 4,000,000,000
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: toast on February 19, 2014, 03:10:44 pm
The amount of BTS you own is going to have a cosmetic layer over it anyway since people can't seem to grasp how destroyed tx fees are dividends for BTS holders. So behind the scenes you use XTS, and for display you show milliBTS%/4000
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: bitbro on February 19, 2014, 03:40:57 pm
+4,000,000,000%!!


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Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: jackie on February 20, 2014, 08:44:36 am
good idea!
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: checkie on February 20, 2014, 02:41:33 pm
+100%

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Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: toast on February 20, 2014, 02:44:33 pm
XTS is not supposed to be used as a currency, it should be thought of more like stock.

What do you think of the fact that a USD is worth 0.0018 AAPL? Should we be using mAAPL when we talk stocks?
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: Xeldal on February 20, 2014, 03:41:02 pm
Stocks will do the same thing to appeal to common psychology. 
Split when the price gets too high to appeal to smaller investors:
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/20/small-investors-rejoice-berkshire-hathaway-stock-to-split-50-t/
(though this doesn't directly apply as you can buy fractions of BTS)

or a reverse split to not appear too cheap or worthless.

Its easy enough to move the decimal for an individuals display via mili, micro etc.
Whether to change the core standard decimal place is another question.  I think this would be positive though, as you suggest.


Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: toast on February 20, 2014, 03:43:43 pm
Stocks will do the same thing to appeal to common psychology. 
Split when the price gets too high to appeal to smaller investors:
http://www.dailyfinance.com/2010/01/20/small-investors-rejoice-berkshire-hathaway-stock-to-split-50-t/
(though this doesn't directly apply as you can buy fractions of BTS)

or a reverse split to not appear too cheap or worthless.

Its easy enough to move the decimal for an individuals display via mili, micro etc.
Whether to change the core standard decimal place is another question.  I think this would be positive though, as you suggest.

The psychological aspect has a root in old-world constraints which we will transition out of soon enough, I just want to push it along
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: Nimrod on February 21, 2014, 03:42:58 am
XTS is not supposed to be used as a currency, it should be thought of more like stock.

What do you think of the fact that a USD is worth 0.0018 AAPL? Should we be using mAAPL when we talk stocks?

I think you are too idealistic.
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: checkie on February 21, 2014, 06:36:18 am
XTS is not supposed to be used as a currency, it should be thought of more like stock.

What do you think of the fact that a USD is worth 0.0018 AAPL? Should we be using mAAPL when we talk stocks?

I think you do not really understand the proposded idea. This is not a mathematical problem. This is about psychology. When I decided to buy some altcoin for the first time, I chose DOGE not BTC. I didn't known which was better at that time. Just because 1 USD get about 1000 DOGE.

The high price gives a feeling of danger, always.

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Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: bytemaster on February 21, 2014, 07:28:36 am
The number of shares is not relevant, because we will represent everything as percentages (eventually). 

So the only question is what fraction of a percent is considered a XTS.    I think using a DOGE style positioning of the decimal point may have some solid marketing purposes of appealing to the little guy.
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: CLains on February 21, 2014, 10:21:13 am
The high price gives a feeling of danger, always.

+5%
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: jackie on February 21, 2014, 10:57:42 am
DOGE style is good
The number of shares is not relevant, because we will represent everything as percentages (eventually). 

So the only question is what fraction of a percent is considered a XTS.    I think using a DOGE style positioning of the decimal point may have some solid marketing purposes of appealing to the little guy.
well done
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: bitbro on February 21, 2014, 02:46:54 pm

The number of shares is not relevant, because we will represent everything as percentages (eventually). 

So the only question is what fraction of a percent is considered a XTS.    I think using a DOGE style positioning of the decimal point may have some solid marketing purposes of appealing to the little guy.

DOGE style, baby!




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Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: yellowecho on February 21, 2014, 03:00:14 pm
The number of shares is not relevant, because we will represent everything as percentages (eventually). 

So the only question is what fraction of a percent is considered a XTS.    I think using a DOGE style positioning of the decimal point may have some solid marketing purposes of appealing to the little guy.

That's exactly what I was thinking.  At any time, the BTS could do a stock split and change the nominal price to whatever is most appealing.
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: toast on February 21, 2014, 06:41:41 pm
By "do a stock split" you mean move the decimal point a few spots in the UI? Sure. Can we simultaneously rename the unit to make it clear that we did a stock split, like prepending it with "m" like "mXTS"? That seems reasonable
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: bitbro on February 21, 2014, 07:30:17 pm
IMHO don't put in the m before BitShares it seems to degrade the value


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Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: toast on February 21, 2014, 09:43:56 pm
 :'(
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: bitcoinerS on February 22, 2014, 06:54:07 pm
4,000,000,000

 +5%
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: bitshares on February 24, 2014, 07:16:11 am
Nice idea  +5%
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: fuzzy on February 24, 2014, 08:38:37 am
The number of shares is not relevant, because we will represent everything as percentages (eventually). 

So the only question is what fraction of a percent is considered a XTS.    I think using a DOGE style positioning of the decimal point may have some solid marketing purposes of appealing to the little guy.

That's exactly what I was thinking.  At any time, the BTS could do a stock split and change the nominal price to whatever is most appealing.

Bingo..
Title: Re: Some Opinions on the Default Unit of BTSX
Post by: yellowecho on February 24, 2014, 10:05:23 pm
It very well could be a good strategy to launch BTS at 4 billion shares but when the price becomes 'too high' have a shareholder vote (perhaps with a future DAC) to do a stock-split back to a more approachable buy-in level.  Not only would it help avoid psychological walls, but it would also bring free publicity as people research the 'price drop' and could spotlight the flexibility of the network.  I've found that many crypto-noobs get confused and irrationally frustrated (IMO) by coin divisibility ("wtf is a satoshi?") but completely understand stock splits as they're a norm in equities.  Doing so would eliminate any need for a naming scheme for the units of divisibility; a bitshare is a bitshare.