This is a great addition to OpenLedger and it can only help BitShares.

You have fotally tucked up this thread.

Thank you for the context. It is important to remember where we are and where we have come from. I agree with you about the WHY being fundamental, but that does not mean we cannot have a sustainable product. It seems like every time we have almost gotten there, the plan has changed a bit and people have been left holding the bag and awaiting the next incarnation. Each incarnation has been far better than what came before and I am thankful for what your team is developing; don't get me wrong. But I'd like to see it come to a usable fruition, especially to thank so many members of the community who have funded or worked hard on these development efforts. If there is a robust trading engine which will attract an exchange business, and if that is simple enough to create from the point we're at now, then please do it. We are most of the way there already.

From there, more possibilities will open up. I think that the WHY will have far more support behind it and that the community will be able to do far more with it if there is a successful product and exchange as its basis. If this thing succeeds, the world will be at your fingertips. It's not just the money; it's the legitimacy and a stepping stone to greater opportunities and open doors, whether these be in the realms of finance, social change, business, politics, or whatever calling each of us has to help solve problems and make a better world.

If we have Hef on our side, then all is well.

I want a working product first.

bond market, whatever else a trader needs before using most of our funds for an optional feature.

Nicely said! In far fewer words than I used.

I agree with some other comments here. Anonymity is nice to have, but it's nowhere near as important as getting this trading engine in ship-shape so that we can finally attract some volume. Eyes on that ball, please. If we get this done well, then I think funding will come very easily for other "nice to have" features such as anonymity.

Yes, yes, yes! I would support this wholeheartedly. Once again, as Bytemaster indicated, we need to have the referral fees to support this. RG, thanks for identifying/articulating the need.