Hello,
It's no wonder the BitShares community is still small; it takes dedication to jump through all of the hoops to convert fiat cash in their pocket into bts in their secure, private wallet and become strong-handed shareholders.
BitShares is an unfinished product at this stage.
But I think that soon the final pieces of the puzzle will come together:
multi-coin cryptowallets secured and facilitated by Bitshares 2.0 technology.
Once people are using this multi-coin-wallet-by-BitShares2.0 they can browse all the various coins, or they can just buy and hold any of the cryptoassets available.
I am confident that the eventual result will be that the majority hold BitShares 2.0 powered assets. And BitShares will win.
But the process from fiat-average-joe to crypto-user has several intermediate steps of understanding. Physical gold is perfect for following along that process.
Currently the vast majority of the unbitshared are going to be people who don't know anything about cryptocurrency at all, other than having heard the word 'bitcoin'.
Currently, BitShares 2.0 advocates cannot easily and simply introduce their crypto-illiterate friends to the world of cryptocurrency.
"But why not just tell them to download a BitShares wallet?"
Because this new person is unaware of any crypto at all, and is most likely wanting to do their own research about what they buy.
Going straight in for the "BITSHARES IS THE BEST DOWNLOAD IT NOW AND IT'S SO GREAT" can sometimes work if you phrase it right, but they still might want to try out other coins.
They will have to download and secure and remember and...and...and... for everything. It's daunting and time consuming. These are not tasks that the vast majority of potential BitShares customers and shareholders are likely to commit to.
The crypto-Sales pitch would work MUCH better if the newcomer could convert something they already hold, FIAT CASH or
GOLD(!!!!) , into a crypto-guarenteed version of that asset that could be held in a
multi-crypto-wallet-secured-by-BitShares2.0 .
In this way, the newcomer can walk to their local gold-shop and use their services to buy themselves a crypto-tradeable asset. Cash4Gold shops are almost universal in every country in the world, why target numerous regulatory-crippled fiat currencies when Gold is available everywhere and it's real money.
Introducing new people to the cryptosphere can be much quicker and easier to explain. People understand that gold has value of some kind, and to trust it enough for use as an intermediary, a starter-currency to dip their toe into the crypto waters. They trust gold more than they currently trust any cryptocurrency.
A simple to use, android+iphone+windows phone wallet is needed. Similar in style and minimalism as "breadwallet" for bitcoin.
The phonewallet should enable
paper wallet security, the ability
send/receive bitGOLD using a QR code. That's it.
This simple, universal phonewallet would be used for the first-step introduction only, or for the simple gold holder.
SIDE NOTE:
If a goldbug wants to move country, they may not want to pay for or trust physical delivery of their gold. Gold is gold so they are not sentimentally attached to those particular gold coins/bars.
They could sell this gold for bitGOLD at their local goldshop, fly to their new country, and then use the same amount of bitGOLD to buy physical gold at the gold-shop in their new country.
It's easier to physically protect/secure in your handbag than real gold. It's just paper. (With 2 backups left with 2 separate family confidantes keykeeper.) "Will you be my keykeeper?" May one day become a commonplace question.
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The main, most challenging hurdles are the non-crypto side, with fiat being the most tedious.
Once new people get transferred into crypto they are very surprised how quick and easy it is to scan a QR and send money instantly. No form filling. The quicker a new customer can get crypto-side, the quicker they can get past the most-annoying part of the setup process.
Streamlining the noncrypto to crypto process is the bottleneck that needs tackling most.The fiat-processes of form filling, the verifying, the security measures that are required because it's not real money really slow people down. Circumventing/minimizing the need for these tedious tasks should be a priority.
Physical gold is physical gold. If the shopkeeper is satisfied that the gold he sells in his shop is real gold, he can accept it as payment for bitGOLD. . There is far less form filling and regulation around gold selling, and peer to peer trading of physical(crypto included) assets. "Hello Gold-Shopkeeper, I would like to buy a gold nugget weighing approximately $20 worth please."
Certainly, here you go. Thanks for completing this trade with me... Now that you own some gold, would you like to trade it with my shop in exchange for an almost equal amount of bitGOLD that allows you to easily dip in to the cryptosphere?
Sounds like my dream come true. Swap my gold. I've already set up my simple bitGOLD wallet. So it'll take 10 seconds to trade with you!
Excellent, I now have x grams of bitGOLD.
Now I'll go home and send this bitGOLD to my main-computer using my
multi-crypto-wallet-secured-by-BitShares2.0 .
Now that I have imported a small portion of my wealth onto this multi-coin wallet I can really snoop around the crypto world and then buy+store these coins all within this one wallet!
ONE AND DONE setup for access to the vast majority of the cryptosphere.
Thank you, come again.
I like those extra profits. I trade the spread on physical gold, using my highly secure bitGoldDealerApp to hedge my gold reserves without trusting an expensive insolvent stockbroker.
BitShares saves a lot more money for companies like me than for individual consumers. Businesses currently pay huge fees for financial services, with BitShares I MAKE money on transaction fees! The banks make all their money from businesses and provide consumer accounts as a tiny sideline.
I also use a multi-coin-cryptowallet-secured-by-BitShares2.0 that I use to pay myself a salary and manage my personal funds.
I put 10% of my monthly salary into my private bitGOLD fund for hedging against fiat-collapse, 30% in my pocketbook for my cost of living,
30% (!!!!! )stored in fiat ready to pay my tax bill, 20% in my HERO retirement savings account, and 10% on my leisure and egaming hobbies.
It's so easy!
All I have to do is securely store these 3 pieces of paper in multiple locations (family houses) and use this TREZOR HARDWARE WALLET!!!!!! to type my password and to never use my naked computer keyboard to authorize transactions.
I can get set up with a hardware wallet secured multi-coin wallet for a total of less than $80! From then on the fees are so low I barely notice. A one off fee of $80 to secure my business portfolio vs a lfietime of paying $$$ in fiat-service fees.
The more customers I trade bitGOLD to, the more money I make in fees!
GOLD IS THE GATEWAY!==============================