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Ask HN: How would I send 1 dollar to everyone on Earth?

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Re: Ask HN: How would I send 1 dollar to everyone on Earth?

#71

Post by jareklupinski »

I would distribute a gadget that is integrated with POS/card-reader terminals, since those are already being sent to stores/businesses that probably have a way to give a dollar to whoever shows up.

Instead of a regular card-reader that scans a card, this scans as many items of personally identifiable material as feasible (at least 10 fingerprints and/or a retinal scan, maybe a pulse check), stores a hash of the above in a central db to prevent abuse, and only authorizes the vendor to dispense a dollar for unique metrics captured. The physical 'dollar' actually comes from the store/business till using the local currency, and the business then invoices you seperately for every dollar they gave out.

The cost of the terminals would probably come from the millions that you wouldn't be able to send a dollar to anyway, like you said terrorism or other concerns.

Re: Ask HN: How would I send 1 dollar to everyone on Earth?

#72

Post by Scarblac »

maccard wrote: post #60
tonmoy wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That will not be an equal distribution as the rich and the old won’t gain as much benefit as a poor child

The same is true of a dollar. If I gave a new born baby a dollar and a person on their deathbed a dollar, the baby will gain much more of a benefit.

Also people living in countries where the US dollar is actually used will gain much more of a benefit.

Re: Ask HN: How would I send 1 dollar to everyone on Earth?

#73

Post by chaostheory »

karmakaze wrote: post #69

Not to seem unempathetic but that seems like a waste of $8B that could be put to some good. For most recipients that $1 will amount to no difference. Interesting as a logistics exercise.

It sounds like a crypto startup problem

Re: Ask HN: How would I send 1 dollar to everyone on Earth?

#75

Post by ALittleLight »

hugh-avherald wrote: post #13

You enter into a contract with each national government. It obviously won't be perfect, but I doubt any other method will be better.

But why would the national governments agree to do this? Most people wouldn't really care if they got a dollar or not so I expect that there wouldn't be overwhelming public pressure for most governments to do this, and the governments would correctly think that doing this would be more trouble than it is worth.

Re: Ask HN: How would I send 1 dollar to everyone on Earth?

#76

Post by ALittleLight »

Though I dislike cryptocurrency, it seems like the most plausible route for this. I would try to use my wealth to setup some NGO that would offer a "Citizen ID" solution to replace something like SSNs with a modern equivalent system using symmetric key cryptography, a yubikey like thing, and biometrics for people who lose their key. Once we get a satisfactory solution designed we start convincing more and governments to use it so we can get every individual human id'd, or, at least, most of them.

Once everyone has a unique ID we create a cryptocurrency stablecoin backed by cash hoard. We create a wallet for every individual person and give them a stablecoin that they can redeem for one dollar. At that point I would consider the challenge more or less complete.

Re: Ask HN: How would I send 1 dollar to everyone on Earth?

#78

Post by postalrat »

Infect everyone with a virus that will kill them in a few years unless they get the vaccine.

Offer to give the vaccine and $1 to anyone who tests negative for previously taking the vaccine.

In a few years everyone on earth will either have the $1 or will be dead.

Re: Ask HN: How would I send 1 dollar to everyone on Earth?

#79

Post by BWStearns »

lelandfe wrote: post #51
readthenotes1 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not to mention having to keep going because babies are born and the money can't be delivered instantaneously...

Not to mention getting anything into the hands of off-the-grid homesteading hermits – or even finding them to begin with. (Or getting a buck into the hands of every Sentinelese)

> Sentinelese

I mean, that's probably fairly easy but whoever does it better be really committed to this project.

Re: Ask HN: How would I send 1 dollar to everyone on Earth?

#80

Post by NicoJuicy »

notahacker wrote: post #46
NicoJuicy wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nice one! Reducing 8 billion problems to 195 problems. Additionally, some further improvements are possible. Eg. Redirecting to the EU, instead of associated countries.

The problem then becomes that some of those dollars end up going to one person rather than 10 million people, and government effectiveness at distributing the money across their population is inversely correlated with where the people that would benefit most from receiving a dollar live (this correlation exists within populations of countries with good banking systems too: your working person that wouldn't pick a dol…

There will also be overhead fees ( eg. Banking) which need to be concluded in.

Either way, some of that money will always end with different people ( banks or persons).

25% overhead fee would be the extreme minimum due to the small amount per person.

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