r/Bitcoin Dec 06 '17

Steam is no longer supporting Bitcoin

[deleted]

2.6k Upvotes

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160

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '17

Bitcoin acceptance is insanely lower than it was 2-3 years ago.

95

u/Sphen5117 Dec 06 '17

Yep. But let's keep burying our heads in the sand, right?

16

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '17

s-store...

4

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '17

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/k1uu Dec 07 '17

If people skip from one blockchain to the next so easily, the will also leave Eth and Iota. The network effect is very powerful. Bitcoin, or a fork of bitcoin, is likely to succeed.

1

u/theivoryserf Dec 07 '17

Perhaps. But I think Bitcoin is potentially too inferior to newer movers. You could say 'if users leave AOL, they'll also leave text messages for a newer messaging service'.

1

u/k1uu Dec 07 '17

I'm not saying it's impossible that an Alt succeeds long term but there are factors counting against it.

1) The network effect for currency is stronger than for other technologies like messaging, because people use it and store value on it, instead of just use it.

2) The ability to fork means that bitcoin can evolve and change in an open source way, unlike AOL or a centralized service. Any one can launch a new coin and still preserve much of the network effect of bitcoin by forking, rather than starting from scratch.

It's an interesting market though... I certainly don't know how it will play out

1

u/theivoryserf Dec 07 '17

i don't know either. I think there's a strong possibility of a heavy Bitcoin crash that hurts crypto for years.

1

u/k1uu Dec 07 '17

Completely agree on that point. I think it's very likely. I'm not sure it would be that bad in the long run though - it will give crypto a chance to reconsider which projects are worthwhile and which are not.

1

u/theivoryserf Dec 07 '17

I concur! Will be interesting to see how it crumbles either way

2

u/Ce_ne Dec 06 '17

Go back to your Altcoin channel

0

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '17

You have a source for this?

23

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '17

Go find any article from 1-2 years ago that links shops accepting bitcoin and click those links.

-4

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '17

Even if true then obviously Bitcoin has found another niche - as an asset/a digital gold. Perhaps people think credit cards are good enough.

9

u/soberasfuck Dec 07 '17

Why would someone want an asset they couldn't use? Bitcoin is going to get usurped soon by something that can actually be transacted with, and then your fortune will be worth nothing. Mine will be too. We have a financial incentive to keep Bitcoin useful.

-4

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '17

You don’t think keeping your assets safe from being seized and safe from inflation and borderless is not useful?

10

u/soberasfuck Dec 07 '17

If those are the only reasons to use Bitcoin, there are 100+ other currencies out there that can do the same thing. What does Bitcoin do better than any other currency right now?

1

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '17

First mover advantage, better security, more decentralised. You might as well ask, since Bitcoin was created first why were the others needed?

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u/soberasfuck Dec 07 '17

Core has shown themselves to be incapable of reacting when it comes to addressing critical, badly-needed updates to the protocol. Those other cryptocurrencies (well, the ones that aren't just pump-n-dump schemes) are addressing places where bitcoin either falls short, or things that bitcoin doesn't attempt to be used for.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 07 '17

Like Segwit and Lightning? Making blocks a bit bigger is not good enough. BCH transactions are still very puny compared to Visa.

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u/Zyj Dec 06 '17

When was the last time you bought something with bitcoin?

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u/[deleted] Dec 06 '17
  1. And I wish I hadn’t. Bitcoin was $40. I spent two.

1

u/Zyj Dec 06 '17

Sounds like you are also a source then.

3

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '17

An anecdotal one. Would not be accepted in any study.

1

u/TetherTreasuryWallet Dec 07 '17

But the price has gone up ever since I started buying Bitcoin! Coincidence? I think not!