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Goldman Sachs Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk

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Re: Goldman Sachs Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk

#181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The same could have been asked about the Tulip and Bulb craze.

The tulip boom and bust didn't have much of an effect on the overall Dutch economy. According to this Smithsonian article, the story has been overblown significantly: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/there-never-was-real-...

I don't think anyone is saying the crypto bubble bust will have much of an effect on the economy either.

Re: Goldman Sachs Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk

#182
post #168

What's with all the extreme negativity with Bitcoin and its trading price on HN? I've been noticing that in all the BTC related threads recently. Yes, this is possibly getting too large too fast. Yes there is a chance this is a bubble because the barbers and shoeshine boys are talking about it. But there is also a chance that we genuinely are at the beginning of the transition from Fiat currencies to crypto (beginnin…

Some of the negativity about Bitcoin in particular is around the relative lack of utility of the actual network, and how this usefulness hasn’t grown with the price. Currently, Bitcoin Core (the dominant fork still) has ridiculously large transaction fees (sometimes averaging over $20 for a given day) and transactions can take hours or days. There’s also some contention because Bitcoin Cash (the other fork of Bitcoin…

I agree, Bitcoin being the largest has a lot of issues with governance and the community not being able to move fast on the scaling issues. I'm not too familiar with the core team's development plans but there's a lot of scaling work and research going on with Ethereum and Litecoin, etc and eventually I'm sure whatever works would flow into Bitcoin as well.

I think having the first-mover advantage and name recognition, the network effect that it has right now and the global media's attention, it looks really difficult for a smaller coin with better tech overtaking BTC anytime soon.

We've all seen technologies that are more advanced than an established player in a field but a lot of times, that does not matter. That's what I believe at least for the short to mid-term timeline.

Re: Goldman Sachs Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk

#184
post #166
post #150

I am also thinking about building a cryptocurrency trading desk inside my company, any thoughts about how to recruit in this field? I am mainly finding it difficult to get the right personality traits since there are a lot of shady and non-professional people.

I honestly can't tell if this is a serious comment.

This is a very serious comment. I am wondering how to recruit professionals to build a trading desk inside my company where we specialize in secure cryptocurrency applications and are part of some venture funds but just don't do day trading.

I am also wondering if your comment is serious of not because it doesn't add anything to the discussion.

Re: Goldman Sachs Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk

#185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it becomes tax evasion if you do this and then fail to pay the applicable tax on it. In the same way, it's not tax evasion to have a successful business, say, making a million dollars selling shoes, even though there are limits on how much money you can make selling shoes before you have to pay tax on it. It is tax evasion if you make a million dollars of taxable income and only pay enough tax for half a million.…

It looks like we're both in agreement that there are legal requirements beyond "just transfer all the money to my son". Point being. When the client ask "transfer the money to my son and close my account", he usually doesn't mean "take 30% off, transfer what's left to my son and close the account". You can have a look at France. I am not sure what paperwork is needed to make it legitimately, it's non trivial.

In the context provided it sounds like the client meant his son would be taking over as the steward of investvesting his money and was going to put it into BTC. This is not illegal in any way. It’s not any different than having an investment manager in the first place, other than it sounds like an objectively terrible idea.

It’s pretty common to move around retirement accounts in the US, the most popular type are tied with your job and frequently move when you change employers.

Re: Goldman Sachs Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk

#186
post #168

What's with all the extreme negativity with Bitcoin and its trading price on HN? I've been noticing that in all the BTC related threads recently. Yes, this is possibly getting too large too fast. Yes there is a chance this is a bubble because the barbers and shoeshine boys are talking about it. But there is also a chance that we genuinely are at the beginning of the transition from Fiat currencies to crypto (beginnin…

For technical reasons, Bitcoin honestly sucks. The block rate is so low that transactions cost many dollars and take hours to confirm. This is only going to continue to get worse, as it turns out that having a global ledger is actually the opposite of a decentralized system.

I can't do anything with Bitcoin that I can't do more easily with my credit card. It offers no value except a tool for rampant speculation. Block chain is junk, and while I see promise in the future I strongly believe we're in the Myspace stage. Something better will come along in a few years and blow this garbage away. Something that's actually usable as a real currency in all the ways I can use a dollar and maybe more.

Re: Goldman Sachs Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk

#187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, it becomes tax evasion if you do this and then fail to pay the applicable tax on it. In the same way, it's not tax evasion to have a successful business, say, making a million dollars selling shoes, even though there are limits on how much money you can make selling shoes before you have to pay tax on it. It is tax evasion if you make a million dollars of taxable income and only pay enough tax for half a million.…

It looks like we're both in agreement that there are legal requirements beyond "just transfer all the money to my son". Point being. When the client ask "transfer the money to my son and close my account", he usually doesn't mean "take 30% off, transfer what's left to my son and close the account". You can have a look at France. I am not sure what paperwork is needed to make it legitimately, it's non trivial.

In the UK on the other hand there is no paperwork at the time. You just transfer it. If the old guy dies within something like 8 years though it should be included in his estate.

Re: Goldman Sachs Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk

#188
post #168

What's with all the extreme negativity with Bitcoin and its trading price on HN? I've been noticing that in all the BTC related threads recently. Yes, this is possibly getting too large too fast. Yes there is a chance this is a bubble because the barbers and shoeshine boys are talking about it. But there is also a chance that we genuinely are at the beginning of the transition from Fiat currencies to crypto (beginnin…

For technical reasons, Bitcoin honestly sucks. The block rate is so low that transactions cost many dollars and take hours to confirm. This is only going to continue to get worse, as it turns out that having a global ledger is actually the opposite of a decentralized system. I can't do anything with Bitcoin that I can't do more easily with my credit card. It offers no value except a tool for rampant speculation. Bloc…

The lightning network could fix everything, or fail spectacularly. I think an even bigger danger than failing spectacularly is if they take too long to roll it out. Other cryptocurrencies are already gaining some favor because of the situation BTC is in now with the high transaction fees.

It has a good chance of working, in my opinion (the lightning network), if they don't dawdle too long. But the clock is ticking.

Re: Goldman Sachs Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk

#189
post #184
post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I honestly can't tell if this is a serious comment.

This is a very serious comment. I am wondering how to recruit professionals to build a trading desk inside my company where we specialize in secure cryptocurrency applications and are part of some venture funds but just don't do day trading. I am also wondering if your comment is serious of not because it doesn't add anything to the discussion.

Maybe people who have traded currencies/stocks in bank jobs and done a bit of crypto trading as a hobby? Or who have a CFA and have traded crypto. I'm not sure there have been many/any professional crypto trading jobs as the thing is so new but other trading experience would carry over to an extent. I've got some stock experience and have recently started trading crypto a bit and there are lots of oddities with how to do transactions and the like with crypto so you'd want someone with some experience there.

Re: Goldman Sachs Is Setting Up a Cryptocurrency Trading Desk

#190
post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For technical reasons, Bitcoin honestly sucks. The block rate is so low that transactions cost many dollars and take hours to confirm. This is only going to continue to get worse, as it turns out that having a global ledger is actually the opposite of a decentralized system. I can't do anything with Bitcoin that I can't do more easily with my credit card. It offers no value except a tool for rampant speculation. Bloc…

The lightning network could fix everything, or fail spectacularly. I think an even bigger danger than failing spectacularly is if they take too long to roll it out. Other cryptocurrencies are already gaining some favor because of the situation BTC is in now with the high transaction fees. It has a good chance of working, in my opinion (the lightning network), if they don't dawdle too long. But the clock is ticking.

IMO Lightning network solves a non-problem. It only sets up a transactionless channel between two parties. The whole promise of Bitcoin was secure transfer to anyone. Maintaining a balance between two parties is trivial and solved thousands of years ago.

The whole reason we have currency is to allow transactions between people that don't trust each other, so I don't think Lightning network will do anything significant

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