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Belarus to create a regulatory environment for circulation of cryptocurrencies

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Re: Belarus to create a regulatory environment for circulation of cryptocurrencies

#61
post #12

The blockchain hype seems to have some parallels to the Second Life[1] one. The technology isn't quite there, the valuations are immense, and it all seems like a real life implementation of a Neal Stephenson novel. Second Life doesn't seem to have gone anywhere but it doesn't mean cryptocurrencies won't as well. From the outside they do look just as niche and generally lacking in use cases. [1] https://en.wikipedia.o…

Bitcoin might be exactly like second life . Without second life we wouldn’t have World of Warcraft , Eve online and every other MMO. I can’t wait until blockchain becomes corporate !

Re: Belarus to create a regulatory environment for circulation of cryptocurrencies

#62
post #58

Just FYI Belarus is not a democracy and the laws change at the whim of the rulers. Read the journal of this blogger who got arrested there https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/blogs-trending-38804499 , the people(the foreign nationals) who were in jail with him...

> Just FYI Belarus is not a democracy Democracies are overrated. It's not the "silver-bullet-regime", and has it's own set of flaws compared to others. Why is everyone thinking that living in a democracy makes de-facto your life better ?

Nobody said it living in a democracy makes your life better, the comment only mentioned it because it means that laws are not iron-clad and can change on a dime - which means the news that offering full bitcoin regulation could easily change tomorrow.

Re: Belarus to create a regulatory environment for circulation of cryptocurrencies

#63
post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Second Life is a virtual world where virtual stuff can be traded. Blockchain technology is real world technology. It can help to solve really challenging problems and make real world systems more efficient / productive / cost effective / autonomous. The two are in no way comparable... if you're looking for a comparison to Second Life which happens to use blockchain technology, check out Decentraland: https://decentra…

Bitcoin is no more real life than Second Life is -- both exist in our reality just the same. Virtual goods in second life are no more virtual than bitcoins are -- both are just bits on some hard drives that people agreed to be worth something. There are significant differences between Bitcoin and Second Life, the lack of centralized control in the former being the biggest, but they aren't what you described in your c…

> Bitcoin is no more real life than Second Life is

Not a big fan of bitcoin here, but there is a difference which I don't think it's captured by that "lack of centralized control". And it is that bitcoins exist as some sort of mathematical object, that is guaranteed in its working and will exist forever as long as there are people mining the blockchain.

They remind me a bit of the ever expanding, mathematically deterministic Autoverse in Egan's Permutation City, for those who have read the novel.

Re: Belarus to create a regulatory environment for circulation of cryptocurrencies

#64
post #12

The blockchain hype seems to have some parallels to the Second Life[1] one. The technology isn't quite there, the valuations are immense, and it all seems like a real life implementation of a Neal Stephenson novel. Second Life doesn't seem to have gone anywhere but it doesn't mean cryptocurrencies won't as well. From the outside they do look just as niche and generally lacking in use cases. [1] https://en.wikipedia.o…

Bitcoin might be exactly like second life . Without second life we wouldn’t have World of Warcraft , Eve online and every other MMO. I can’t wait until blockchain becomes corporate !

Erm, MMOs predated Second Life by many years. Even discounting MUDs and so forth, Ultima Online was around about 5 or 6 years before Second Life.

Re: Belarus to create a regulatory environment for circulation of cryptocurrencies

#65
post #11

Just FYI Belarus is not a democracy and the laws change at the whim of the rulers. Read the journal of this blogger who got arrested there https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/blogs-trending-38804499 , the people(the foreign nationals) who were in jail with him...

Just FYI, Belarusians often refer to Donald Trump as the american Lukashenka. They share quite a few traits.

At least Americans can vote against Trump on the next elections.

Re: Belarus to create a regulatory environment for circulation of cryptocurrencies

#66
post #12

The blockchain hype seems to have some parallels to the Second Life[1] one. The technology isn't quite there, the valuations are immense, and it all seems like a real life implementation of a Neal Stephenson novel. Second Life doesn't seem to have gone anywhere but it doesn't mean cryptocurrencies won't as well. From the outside they do look just as niche and generally lacking in use cases. [1] https://en.wikipedia.o…

Bitcoin might be exactly like second life . Without second life we wouldn’t have World of Warcraft , Eve online and every other MMO. I can’t wait until blockchain becomes corporate !

EverQuest, Ultima Online? You have your history backwards

Re: Belarus to create a regulatory environment for circulation of cryptocurrencies

#67
post #4
post #2

No taxes (until 2023) on mining, selling/buying tokens. Here are details: • The rights of physical and legal entities in terms of token circulation are defined. Legal entities are entitled to possess tokens, create and list their own tokens through HTP residents; buy, exchange tokens and perform other operations using tokens only through the cryptocurrency exchanges and cryptocurrency exchange operators. • Individual…

So we're all setting up shop in Belarus to get our Crypto profits tax-free?

At such odds with the standard HN complaints about people not paying their “fair share” of taxes.

Re: Belarus to create a regulatory environment for circulation of cryptocurrencies

#68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Second Life is a virtual world where virtual stuff can be traded. Blockchain technology is real world technology. It can help to solve really challenging problems and make real world systems more efficient / productive / cost effective / autonomous. The two are in no way comparable... if you're looking for a comparison to Second Life which happens to use blockchain technology, check out Decentraland: https://decentra…

You're making the virtual/real world dichotomy with the hindsight of knowing that Second Life didn't go anywhere. People back then also called it a technology: it's a technology that allows e.g. in-person meetings without the need for displacement. It's a technology that disrupts physical space, the ultimate disruption! No, sorry, such dichotomy is irrelevant. What's relevant is that Second Life didn't get traction.…

Oddly enough I discovered recently that SL still has an ongoing userbase, and a smallish economy of people selling each other models, tools, clothing and various other bits and pieces.

I'm sure the userbase has dropped off massively since the hype phase, and I'd be surprised if anyone's making millions from SL "Real" estate any more, but it seems to still have its niche.

I wonder if ten years down the line BTC will have found a niche like that, where it ticks along unremarkably, just being used rather than hyped.

Re: Belarus to create a regulatory environment for circulation of cryptocurrencies

#69
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Belarus is finishing its first nuclear power station and wants to use the surplus capacity. Initially, they planned to sell it to Baltic countries, but these are in the EU, so it is not yet sure they will cut a deal. EU has a huge anti-nuclear, pro-carbon lobby.

Yeah, Lithuania making big deal out of this nuclear station. They aren't happy that it's based close to the border and they trying to say that it's not safe, blah-blah-blah, nobody will buy electricity and so on. Other countries don't have issues with this station though, EU checked it and found everything within norms. But every time something happens at the construction, like they pour concrete at the wrong spot, L…

But it is big deal. In worst case scenario, most of Lithuania's land would be no-go zone. Violating Espoo and Aarhus Conventions, lying and covering up accidents, while normal practice in Russia & co countries, it is not in EU. Could you please provide source for "EU checked it and found everything within norms"?
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