Live data from Hacker News

The largest unknown Bitcoin wallet moved nearly $1B for $0.48 in fees

decrypt.co

51–60 of 369 posts

Re: The largest unknown Bitcoin wallet moved nearly $1B for $0.48 in fees

#51
post #39

Unpopular opinion: why do we care so much about making it cheaper for rich people to move money around? Do we think somehow that will “trickle down” to us mere mortals and put western union and their ilk out of business?

because the poor people can't move $10 around without paying $3 for it. Have you ever tried moving small amounts of money in poor countries ?

Re: The largest unknown Bitcoin wallet moved nearly $1B for $0.48 in fees

#52
post #25

If we both join the bitcoin network, we can exchange $1B for $0.48. If we both join set up accounts at a regular bank like RBC, we can exchange $1B for free. The point I'm making is that fees are not bitcoin's strong point. Any financial network can undercut it. What is unique about bitcoin is that not everyone can get an account at RBC, but anyone can join the more expensive bitcoin network.

Well the point is with Bitcoin you don't have to trust RBC to not freeze and/or abscond with your $1B.

Nor can you reverse a transaction when someone steals your Bitcoins. The traditional financial system is far more suitable to people’s needs than Bitcoin is.

Re: The largest unknown Bitcoin wallet moved nearly $1B for $0.48 in fees

#53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

$50 if both using the same currency. $50 + a few basis point spread if using a different currency, but you don't know exactly what that spread will be from the sending bank and what the spread will be at the receiving bank, so you can lose anywhere from .001% to 4% with major currencies.

I imagine there are also fees involved to turn $1B worth of bitcoins to local currency.

There are, there is also a parallel global economy that allows for obtaining goods, services and investing in private equity or other assets directly using bitcoin, so those conversion fees are not an issue for the bitcoin owner. To counter the easiest rebuttal, there probably are only about $1bn worth of things to buy using bitcoin any given day, most of which are other new digital assets that would not be a great investment and would otherwise struggle to obtain any purchases.

But for reference, in today's market you could expect to be able to negotiate a 1-2% spread in converting $1Bn in bitcoin to US Dollars. It would have to be multiple orders throughout the day as an OTC dealer will quote on price for $100m and a different price for $1bn.

Block orders in the bitcoin OTC market often has more daily volume than the lit market on exchanges. Similar to other commodities markets.

Re: The largest unknown Bitcoin wallet moved nearly $1B for $0.48 in fees

#54
post #37
post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not scammed, but maybe a regulator will take an interest in $1B being moved around.

Is the average person in our society better off in a world where anyone can move $1B anonymously? Why do you think regulators might want to take an interest in such transfers?

Bitcoin transactions are already being de-anonymized at least in the U.S. - and if not today, the permanent ledger record means that the 'data exhaust' (hidden data surrounding a transaction) can back into it.

Re: The largest unknown Bitcoin wallet moved nearly $1B for $0.48 in fees

#55
post #25

If we both join the bitcoin network, we can exchange $1B for $0.48. If we both join set up accounts at a regular bank like RBC, we can exchange $1B for free. The point I'm making is that fees are not bitcoin's strong point. Any financial network can undercut it. What is unique about bitcoin is that not everyone can get an account at RBC, but anyone can join the more expensive bitcoin network.

Well the point is with Bitcoin you don't have to trust RBC to not freeze and/or abscond with your $1B.

Also good luck getting 1B converted to dollars without a major head-ache. I feel like 1B in bitcoin is as bad if not even worse than 1B in cash. It isn't super useful in that form.

Re: The largest unknown Bitcoin wallet moved nearly $1B for $0.48 in fees

#56
post #39

Unpopular opinion: why do we care so much about making it cheaper for rich people to move money around? Do we think somehow that will “trickle down” to us mere mortals and put western union and their ilk out of business?

I see the benefit as making it cheaper for everyone to move money around. And make no mistake, Bitcoin has much larger fees than other cryptocurrencies.

Re: The largest unknown Bitcoin wallet moved nearly $1B for $0.48 in fees

#57

For all of the talk about how Bitcoin is not truly anonymous, this wallet demonstrates otherwise, with the apparent 'anonymity proviso' being that you don't do too much with it, and just let the coins sit.

We're having a discussion on HN about a specific person moving a specific amount of money around. That by itself is basically the opposite of privacy.

Anonymity ≠ privacy

We're having a discussion about an unknown account - which may or may not be an individual person - moving specific amounts of money around anonymously, not privately.

Re: The largest unknown Bitcoin wallet moved nearly $1B for $0.48 in fees

#58
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not aware of any government that taxes money transfers. At least in any country I have lived in you can move around your money as much as you like without any taxes. Now if you're trying to avoid income tax or something like that that's a different question, but then using Bitcoin doesn't magically make that disappear either.

In the us you would get taxed https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employe...

You're assuming the Bitcoin changed hands though. Transaction doesn't necessarily imply that.

Re: The largest unknown Bitcoin wallet moved nearly $1B for $0.48 in fees

#59

How many times would you double check the address before hitting send? I would think to minimize risk, would slice this up into a few transactions...

Probably just twice. Bitcoin addresses are check summed so it's nearly impossible to fat finger a mistake.

Re: The largest unknown Bitcoin wallet moved nearly $1B for $0.48 in fees

#60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They certainly are not. Not between countries (even if they are EU countries and both use the Euro) and not for 1 billion Euros/Dollars. Edit: A lot of people here are saying "I do not pay for it so it is free". Just because you don't pay does not mean it is free for everyone . The law just states that fees must be the same for domestic and EU transfers, not that the transfer is free and, there are countless examples…

> Not between countries (even if they are EU countries and both use the Euro) If your bank is charging differently for transfers to euro denominated accounts in other countries, complain to the regulator. This isn't allowed.

A) Not charging differently does not mean it is free (which was the original argument).

B) The "target" bank can still charge you independently of your bank.

E.g. (and I do this kind of transfer very very often so I am 100% sure it is so and I am also 100% sure this is legal): A transfer from Germany to Germany is free. A transfer from Germany to Greece is not as the Greek bank charges a fee.

Post reply on HN