TOKYO — The website of major bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox is offline Tuesday amid reports it suffered a debilitating theft, a new setback for efforts to gain legitimacy for the virtual currency.
The URL of Tokyo-based Mt. Gox was returning a blank page. The disappearance of the site follows the resignation Sunday of Mt. Gox CEO Mark Karpeles from the board of the Bitcoin Foundation, a group seeking legitimacy for the currency.
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The cloud hanging over Mt. Gox is a possibly fatal blow to Bitcoin, which was started in 2009 as a currency free from government controls. Supporters have said Bitcoin’s cryptography makes it immune to theft or counterfeiting.
On bitcoin exchanges, the currency’s value has fallen to about $470 from $550 in the past few hours.
Mark wrote:But then, I have 625,000 Iraqi new dinars in my desk drawer...which currently is valued at 1.02 bitcoin. C'est la vie.
ORFflyer wrote:Bitcoin is no joke.
Queso wrote:Yeah, and that's why I am thinking about putting some real-world money into it.
ORFflyer wrote:Queso wrote:Yeah, and that's why I am thinking about putting some real-world money into it.
I'm in an office full of bit-weenies. Several are very active in bitcoin mining, and make no efforts to hide it. These technicians talk about it all the time, and done properly, it is legal - for now anyway. (see Vic's post)
Boris wrote:As you mentioned, you really have to be part of a mining pool to have any success, because I read that they only issue them in 50 coin blocks.
Queso wrote:Boris wrote:As you mentioned, you really have to be part of a mining pool to have any success, because I read that they only issue them in 50 coin blocks.
Not necessarily, I think riding the volatility of it right now is where some gains can be realized. As I see it, the days of getting rich off mining are likely a little over a year behind us.
mhodgson wrote:And amusingly, one of the main exchange sites I alluded to has gone offline - the founder has seemingly done a runner, possibly with all the bitcoin contained as part of it - the value of the bitcoin has crashed today. One person showed a screenshot where it lost $200 in 30 minutes.
JLAmber wrote:mhodgson wrote:And amusingly, one of the main exchange sites I alluded to has gone offline - the founder has seemingly done a runner, possibly with all the bitcoin contained as part of it - the value of the bitcoin has crashed today. One person showed a screenshot where it lost $200 in 30 minutes.
I saw that earlier, the exchange rate is all over the place at the moment and far too volatile to warrant serious investment. In the time it's taken me to type this the value has dropped from 337 GBP to 326.66 GBP
Zak wrote:I prefer losing my money at poker. More fun.
Zak wrote:I prefer losing my money at poker. More fun.
captoveur wrote:Zak wrote:I prefer losing my money at poker. More fun.
I prefer strip clubs.. I have the same odds of coming out richer.
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