Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency • Hacker News Board

Re: Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency

#31

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 5:28 PM UTC

josh2600 wrote: post #2

Hi! I'm the CEO of MobileCoin. If anyone has any questions please feel free to ask here. We've been working on this project for four years and it has been a labor of love. There's a lot of new technology here. We exist in a highly regulated space so it's possible some questions will require reaching out to lawyers to make sure we answer them in a way that's compliant so please don't feel offended if a response takes…

[deleted]

Re: Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency

#32

Post by fastball » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 5:28 PM UTC

vitno wrote: post #20

I am incredibly disappointed in the Signal team. I don't want cryptocurrencies (or even any payments!) in my primary text app. Crypto/blockchain is fine, but if I want to use it I'll download a different app. I'm finding this announcement creates some uncertainty in my head about Signal's long-term future.

How did you want Signal to monetize?

Re: Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency

#33

Post by josh2600 » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 5:28 PM UTC

RL_Quine wrote: post #19

How much did MobileCoin pay for inclusion in Signal?

MobileCoin has not yet paid Signal anything for integrating MobileCoin. We intend to donate a great deal of money to Signal over the coming years.

We believe in Signal's mission and we think that the world is a better place with Signal in it.

Re: Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency

#34

Post by approxim8ion » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 5:28 PM UTC

Them not allowing federation sucks, because I would absolutely use a client with this removed.

Re: Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency

#35

Post by mLuby » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 5:29 PM UTC

Is this bizarre feature actually some kind of warrant canary?

I thought Signal was already financially secure.

Re: Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency

#36

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 5:31 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency

#37

Post by RL_Quine » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 5:31 PM UTC

fastball wrote: post #32

vitno wrote: post #20

I am incredibly disappointed in the Signal team. I don't want cryptocurrencies (or even any payments!) in my primary text app. Crypto/blockchain is fine, but if I want to use it I'll download a different app. I'm finding this announcement creates some uncertainty in my head about Signal's long-term future.

How did you want Signal to monetize?

> Signal Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit. We’re proud of that designation and we’re out to prove that a nonprofit can innovate and scale as well as any business driven by a profit motive.

https://signalfoundation.org/

Re: Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency

#38

Post by otoburb » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 5:31 PM UTC

Congratulations on the announcement.

>>Those outputs contain the entire original supply of MobileCoin (250 million MOB)[1]

Is the entire supply of 250M MOB available for sale on FTX, or is only a restricted number of MOB tokens available for sale to UK residents? Is it fair to assume that the MobileCoin Foundation has no plans for an airdrop (unlike Stellar)?

[1] "Mechanics of MobileCoin", v0.0.39, pg. 133

Re: Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency

#39

Post by fastball » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 5:31 PM UTC

yoavm wrote: post #10

I really wish Signal had stable voice and video calls before it added this blockchain thing.

My voice calls have been very stable. What kind of issues are you experiencing?

Re: Signal adds a payments feature with a privacy-focused cryptocurrency

#40

Post by centimeter » Tue, Apr 06, 2021, 5:32 PM UTC

RL_Quine wrote: post #12

This is garbage, and shouldn't be part of Signal. Everything on the internet is being corrupted with adding cryptocurrency scams where they absolutely don't belong, it turns Signal from an obvious recommendation into something that makes me hesitate. There's something to be said for focusing on doing one thing well, and that doesn't mean turning a communication platform into a kitchen sink.

If they weren't using this as an opportunity to pump some shitcoin, this might make sense. Bitcoin Lightning integration would be much less suspect, for example, because A) it's already well established B) they're not going to make a quick buck off it.