It has been a very long time since I have checked in on my investment with BTS.  Just bought and held onto it.

I have a desktop wallet, version 0.9.2.
There appears to have been some attempt to access an online wallet via the Bitshares website, but the link seems to go nowhere. 

Wondering what happened?
Why is BTS no longer on Shapeshift?
Can I still trade my BTS?

Thanks.
 

Hi, I'm also new. I'll share my experience thus far and maybe it can help.

First: Download the Bitshares wallet from the website to your local machine and set up your username and password. Then export you wallet file to your computer, and save it elsewhere. (Flash drive, email, cloud, etc.) Now that the "keys" (the backup file and your password) to your personal "vault" (desktop wallet) are secure, you then need to register the name with the blockchain and then fund your account. Go to http://faucet.bitshares.org to register you username. Once your username is registered with the blockchain, you can fund the account with Bitshares. But to do that, right now, you need to buy Bitcoin. In most cases, you'll buy a fraction of a single Bitcoin (In the beginning I assumed I needed to buy a whole coin, but this is unnecessary). 

Next:  The easiest way to get Bitcoin, for me (and in the same day and without much hassle) was to go to Localbitcoins.com and create an account (an online bitcoin wallet essentially). You can search for various methods of deposit, but I searched for a cash deposit option with a bank in my area. The details of the account and the transaction are understood when you use the site and find a seller. Essentially you deposit cash and verfiy it with a receipt and then the seller sends your equivalent amount in Bitcoin to your Localbitcoins.com online wallet. You now have Bitcoin and can exchange it for other altcoins. Almost there.

Finally: Localbitcoins.com is a good temporary wallet, but you'll want to download another Bitcoin wallet for more security (Bitcoin Core, Electrum, etc). But if speed is your main concern, then simply use your Localbitcoins.com wallet to hold your Bitcoins temporarily before exchanging them for Bitshares. This is where Shapeshift.io comes in, as it is the most convenient exchange service available right now, by far. Your personal Bitshares username or public key is the receiving address. Shapeshift.io even has a live chat function if you need some extra explanation.  By the time you're finished with the Shapeshift transaction (a few minutes), you should have Bitshares transferred to your local wallet. (sigh of relief)

As for what to do with your BTS once they are in your Bitshares wallet, this is becoming better explained with each new update. You can simply hold BTS or exchange them for BitUSD or some other asset. Or you can transfer BTS to another exchange, like BTER.com. But I suspect the wallet will become more intuitive and more user-friendly as time goes on. One note about the Memo field. Usually when you Transfer BTS to another wallet, the Memo field would be used to ensure the funds are attributed to the right account, and this information is usually provided by the receiving party.  They will offer a reference number or something for you to include in the Memo field. In the case of BTER.com for example, when you want to deposit BTS to an online BTER account, they will provide the Memo details.

Good luck!

One thing to consider though, is that Bitshares isn't really positioning itself as an alternate currency, like other altcoins. It could provide that service, but it just isn't taking that approach right now it seems. Bitcoin, for example, is basically marketed as the new "money" of the Internet. I don't know if BTS is really seeking to compete in that space. Of course, it could turn out that it does become one of several preferred “currencies” to make transactions online. But it will take time before people understand what else Bitshares is capable of.

Now if say Bono from U2, or another well-known band, came out and said that anyone who buys into the new U2 single can share in the profits, then there would a lot of interest. Is Bitshares laying the groundwork for those opportunities? That seems quite a while down the road. And even then, something like that wouldn't necessarily elevate the valuation of BTS, correct? But the asset that is being used (the new single).

As I understand it, BTS is more of a neutral baseline from which to launch other assets. And perhaps we wouldn’t want that baseline to have a huge valuation ($100 per share, etc) because that may prevent everyday users from participating in the exchange. 

I look at something like Scottrade, which has a commission of around $7 a trade. I wonder if something like BTS can follow an online brokerage model, and essentially the 'fee' becomes the exchange rate before an asset is "purchased?" (BitUSD, etc.) Even then, it is the underlining asset that would be the investment play. So in the case of the the new single,  BitU2single, would be what investors would be interested in. Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way?

Hi there, I'm new here.

Just wanted to share some insights and get some feedback. I get that all of these decentralized, encryption systems (Bitcoin/Bitshares, etc) are still in their infancy, and it is really exciting to be among you, learning from you, and watching these ideas unfold. It's just like the early days of the Internet. Personally, I look to these inventions as another means to counter the increasingly invasive groups and powers that seek to limit our liberty and privacy. These powers seek to control us by monopolizing money, controlling our data, spying on our transactions, our emails, etc. Eventually, I hope encryption and decentralization becomes the norm (or at least the trusted alternative) where we can all freely exchange anything and everything without fear. I also hope that we can become prosperous by doing so, without depending on centralized powers and their systems of manipulation. It would be truly amazing if we could look back and say with pride that we adopted these solutions early and reaped the rewards. 

The biggest hurdle I see to Bitshares/Bitcoin et al (and the real challenge for all developers) is in simplifying everything. I was talking with a friend the other day about these things, and quickly realized that nothing I said was sinking in. There must be some way of making the front-end and back-end integrated to a point where things are intuitive for the average user. Where something like an App Store, registers immediately with the general public. I think that Apple, for example, is arguably the best company right now at creating tools that people can embrace quickly, understanding it without much explanation. Most people aren't familiar with back-end languages and coding. But they do understand value when they use something as simple and intuitive as an iPod, for example. Or if they download something to their phone that they can use to better their lives, provide entertainment, etc. Once a team can essentially create the equivalent in the crypto world, (maybe Bitshares can accomplish this) then it will really take off. And those who make these tools the most easily configured and market them successfully, will gain the quickest adoption and implementation. "Napster" was cool and had a good following at first too, but the idea of music sharing didn't really get off the ground (with widespread understanding and use) until iTunes and the major studios accepted it. Until your average Joe could download the software, navigate it with ease, and see the value and come back again and again. 

I really like how Bitshares is evolving in this area. The approach to the wallet interface is great, and I expect will get better with time. I remember watching an interview on YouTube with Brian Page, and he communicated the ideas very well. He was excellent. A lot of things he mentioned were based on things I believe in, and expressed simply. We need a lot more of that. So because I'm still learning, maybe some of you can point me to some good resources or threads to clear up a few things for me.

One of the great benefits to Bitshares, in my view, is the profit or value motive, where it's “shareholders,” are rewarded for “investing” in it. I understand the concept that the value of BTSX will increase over time as delegates “burn” the supply. Others have equated this process to a company buying its shares back. I like that analogy much better than the dividend comparison. Correct me if I’m wrong, but simply by holding BTSX, there aren’t regular payments paid to my balance, right? 

And it seems to me that BTSX is more of a baseline to launch other assets from, not so much an asset in itself, correct?  Isn't BTSX or "Ripple," for example, somewhat of a neutral medium, that must maintain a certain level of homeostasis for it to be trusted and exchanged with? Something highly volatile or speculative wouldn’t be trusted as a medium for others to exchange with. In a similar way, the USD right now, is the reserve currency around the globe. So does BTSX seek to be the "reserve" ______ of the Internet? Holding a large amount of BTSX may be helpful if it is a trusted reserve, and can be used for exchange for higher quantities of some other asset, but I don’t know if it is really a speculative play. Thoughts?

Another question is about liquidity. Today I can take some USD from a local bank, send it to something like an Etrade or Ameritrade account, then buy shares in a company for a fee per transaction (usually anywhere from $5-15). Moreover, if I sell the shares and reap any profit in my Ameritrade account, I can then send those gains to my local bank and use them. The process is what I am curious about. Does Bitshares intend to emulate this approach with BTSX fees per exchange or transfer? Or to build the value of a single BTSX in relation to other currencies? What is the ideal scenario or what is the role of BTSX in the long run?

On the monetary side, Bitshares seems to be another iteration of a FOREX service. In my view, this is why most people get involved with something like Bitcoin. They want to know how to make money, preserve, or transfer their money, in comparison with something like the USD. There are lots of FOREX services already. But they trade fiat money. Ripple seems to be taking this approach too. Say I want to exchange Bitshares for USD or exchange BitUSD for USD or CNY, for example, how is that accomplished now and what is the hope for this process later? Does one still acquire some Bitcoin before buying/exchanging them for BTSX? Can you purchase half a bitcoin? Or a tenth of a bitcoin? What is the lowest denomination of bitcoin that can be purchased with USD? 

It may be true that eventually fiat or paper money will cease to exist and we will all use digital alternatives. But what is more likely is there will be multiple, competing currencies with multiple ways of transacting. I’d be interested in your feedback on how this all works within the Bitshares model. Thanks!