My Christmas present for my "normal" friends - Mon cadeau de Noël pour mes amis "normaux"
| Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies (such as Ethereum or Steem) are going to change the world as we know it. | Le bitcoin et les crypto-monnaies (comme p.ex. Ethereum ou Steem) vont changer le monde tel que nous le connaissons aujourd'hui. |
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| Or perhaps they are a big fraud and a pyramid scheme and their value will go to zero! | Ou peut-être que ce ne sont qu'une fraude pyramidale, basée sur du vent, et que leur valeur est de zéro! |
| I was contemplating this dilemma back in 2013 and decided I can postpone taking a stance. I mean, people had contended that "mobile computing" or "social media" were about to change the world about five years earlier, but I was not involved with either and I was not about to change my orientation on a gamble - when these new technologies would come, I'll just use them and benefit, right !? | Je contemplais cette question en 2013 et j'avais décidé de repousser ma prise de position à plus tard. Au fond, j'avais entendu que "les smartphones" ou "les média sociaux" allaient changer le monde plus de cinq ans auparavant mais je ne travaillais pas directement avec et je n'allais pas changer d'orientation sur une possibilité - lorsque ces technologies allaient arriver, j'allais en profiter comme tout le monde, n'est-ce pas ? |
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| In 2016, I realized that blockchain (the technology which powers Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies) was different and jumped in with both feet ... | En 2016, j'ai réalisé que la blockchain (la technologie qui rend possibles le Bitcoin et autres "crypto-monnaies") était différente, et j'ai plongé dedans la tête la première... |
"La primera comunión", painted by Picasso when he was 15 - Picasso Museum, Barcelona
| I could go on at length as to why the blockchain is a technology which, unlike "mobile" or "social media", you'll be glad you took a step toward, rather than waiting for others to "bring it to you". But it's probably easier to use an analogy: imagine back in 1896 you were offered to buy, for what would be today 100 euro, this fresh painting, by a 15-year old. Would you have spared today's equivalent of 100 euro for a painting by an unknown teenager? | Je pourrais me répandre longuement à expliquer pourquoi vous allez vous féliciter d'avoir approché la technologie blockchain, plutôt que d'attendre que d'autres vous en fassent bénéficier (comme pour les smartphones ou les média sociaux). Mais le plus simple est d'utiliser une analogie: imaginez qu'en 1896 on vous aurait proposer d'acquérir, pour ce qui serait aujourd'hui 100 euro, ce tableau fraîchement peint par un jeune garçon de 15 ans. Est-ce que vous auriez "sacrifié" 100 euro pour vous approprier le tableau d'un adolescent inconnu? |
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| But analogies go only so far. You can hang a painting by a teenager on a wall and admire its grace, but you can't see a bitcoin. So if you buy bitcoin, what are you spending your money on, what is it that makes it valuable and worth some money? I recently wrote an article discussing the sources of intrinsic value for bitcoin: What's Bitcoin's Value. In short, one can argue for at least 6 different reasons why bitcoin has value: | Les analogies sont toutefois trompeuses. Vous pouvez accrocher au mur le tableau peint par un adolescent et admirer le talent, mais vous ne pouvez pas voir un bitcoin. Donc si vous achetez du bitcoin, sur quoi êtes vous en train de dépenser de l'argent, qu'est-ce qui lui donne une valeur monétaire ? J'ai écrit récemment un article (en anglais) qui débat des sources de valeur intrinsèque du Bitcoin: What's Bitcoin's Value. J'en identifie au moins 6 : |
| 1. Ideological (quasi-religious) symbol | 1. Symbole idéologique (voire quasi-réligieux) |
| 2. Gateway to the "cryptoverse" (all the other cryptocurrencies) | 2. Une porte d'entrée vers l'univers des autres cryptomonnaies |
| 3. Speculative, uncorrelated, volatile trading and hedging instrument. | 3. Un instrument de spéculation et de couverture très volatile et peu corrélé aux autres actifs |
| 4. "Digital gold", i.e. ultimate store of value | 4. De "l'or numérique" - l'ultime forme de préservation de valeur |
| 5. Digital collectible | 5. Objet de collection numérique |
| 6. Electronic cash (its original intended purpose) | 6. De l'argent liquide numérique (sa destination initiale) |
| But here I am implying it has a 7th value, that of effective teaching material for learning about blockchain. | Mais ici je pointe vers une 7ème source de valeur: son usage en tant que matériel pédagogique pour enseigner la technologie blockchain. |
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| Last year I wrote an article called "Why NOT buying Bitcoin is completely irrational". I published it on LinkedIn as well, where some of my connections noticed it. This year, I spent a few hours on the phone with a friend who wanted to know "Ok, if I want to buy Bitcoin, how do I actually go about it? Where does one buy Bitcoin?" | L'année dernière j'ai écrit un article intitulé "Why NOT buying Bitcoin is completely irrational" ("Pourquoi NE PAS acheter du Bitcoin est completement irrationnel"). Je l'ai publié sur LinkedIn aussi, où certaines de mes connections l'ont remarqué. Cette année, j'ai passé quelques heures au téléphone avec une amie qui voulait savoir "Ok, si je veux acheter du Bitcoin, qu'est-ce que je dois faire? Où est-ce qu'on achète du Bitcoin?" |
| This is how I decided that my Christmas present for my "normal" friends (the "normies", the non-geeks, non-nerds who look puzzled, bemused and somewhat skeptical to all this mysterious cryptophenomenon), would be a short practical guide about how to buy Bitcoin in the Euro zone for those who want to know. | C'est comme ça que j'ai décidé que mon cadeau de Noël pour mes amis "normaux" (ceux qui ne sont pas technophiles et qui regardent le phénomène "crypto" avec étonnement, amusement et une dose de scepticisme), ce sera un petit guide pratique du "comment acheter du Bitcoin dans la zone Euro" pour ceux qui veulent le savoir. |
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Before we begin - Avant de commencer
| I think everyone should seize the opportunity of owning something signed by a young and obviously talented genius (although Satoshi Nakamoto might not qualify as "artist", stricto sensu). Maybe this new "artist" won't achieve the same fame as Picasso, but if you can have something by him for as little as the price of a Lottery ticket (say 10 euro), why pass by? | Je crois que tout un chacun devrait saisir l'occasion d'acheter quelque chose signé par un génie (même si Satoshi Nakamoto n'est pas un "artiste" au sens stricte du terme). Peut-être que celui-ci n'atteindra pas la même notoriété que Picasso, mais si on peut avoir une de ses créations pour le prix d'un ticket de lotterie (disons 10 euros), pourquoi se priver ? |
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| Also, this article only looks at the matter from the perspective of someone living in a typical Eurozone country. I've heard some countries are pioneering schemes to distribute Bitcoin through dedicated ATMs (outside the Eurozone, Romania has Bitcoin ATMs already, as detailed in this post Immigrate to Romania!) or through high-street shops, but this is far from usual. For the average person, the most accessible place to acquire Bitcoin remains... the Internet. | Cet article aborde le sujet du point de vue de quelqu'un vivant dans un pays typique de la zone Euro. J'ai entendu que certains pays avaient permis la mise en place de "bancomats à Bitcoin" (en dehors de la zone Euro, la Roumanie a déjà des bancomats à Bitcoin, comme détaillé dans cet article : Immigrate to Romania!) ou la distribution à travers des "bureaux tabac", mais cela reste anecdotique. Pour la vaste majorité, l'endroit le plus accessible pour acheter du Bitcoin reste ... l'Internet. |
Cryptocurrency exchanges - Les bourses à crypto-monnaies
| Once on the web, what we are looking for what is called a "cryptocurrency exchange". In a nutshell, these function a bit like online shops (think Amazon): | Une fois sur Internet, ce que nous cherchons ce sont des "bourses à cryptomonnaies". En bref, ces "bourses" fonctionnent un peu comme un magasin en ligne (pensez Amazon): |
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| - open an account | - vous ouvrez un compte |
| - send some money (few of them allow credit card payment) | - vous l'approvisionnez avec de l'argent (très peu d'entre elles offrent la possibilité d'acheter par carte de crédit) |
| - through the user interface of the crypto-exchange, use the money from your account to buy Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency on offer. | - à travers l'interface utilisateur, vous dépensez une partie de l'argent que vous y avez envoyé pour acheter du Bitcoin ou une autre crypto-monnaie de la plateforme. |
| - optional: "take delivery of your cryptocurrency in your personal cryptocurrency wallet". This has to do with there being no regulated institution yet that could store your Bitcoin with the guarantees a bank would normally offer. You are thus left with the choice of either safeguarding them yourself or leaving them in custody of an institution you trust (such as the cryptocurrency exchange where you acquired them). | - optionnel: "vous rapatriez votre crypto-monnaie vers votre portemonnaie crypto personnel". Ce dernier pas est lié à l'absence d'institutions qui puissent garder vos Bitcoins en vous offrant les garanties qu'une banque offrirait normalement. Vous devez donc choisir entre les garder vous mêmes ou les laisser en garde à une institution à laquelle vous faites confiance (telle que la bourse à crypto-monnaies où vous les avez achetés). |
| Easy, but which cryptocurrency exchange? There are dozens already, how to choose one? Not to mention that there are different types, most of which only accept payment in crypto (exchanging one cryptocurrency against another, not buying cryptocurrency with real money)! | Facile, mais quelle bourse à crypto-monnaie? Il y en a des dizaines déjà, comment en choisir une? Sans parler du fait qu'elles sont de différents types, et la plupart n'acceptent pas le vrai argent mais permettent uniquement d'échanger une cryptomonnaie contre une autre! |
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| I do not claim to be exhaustive and I am certainly not giving recommendations. I'm only going to mention two I use myself, Kraken and Bitstamp. The links are not "referral" links, I'm not in any way "incentivized", I'm not "referring you" to any of these. My main reason to use these two is that both have banking relationships with Eurozone banks, hence one can fund one's account (in euros) through a SEPA transfer which is relatively fast (1 - 2 days) and not very costly (0€ - 5€). | Je ne prétends bien sûr pas être exhaustif et je ne fais pas de recommandation. Je vais simplement mentionner deux que j'utilise moi-même, Kraken et Bitstamp. Le liens ne sont pas des liens sponsorisés, je ne suis pas "motivé financièrement" et je ne vous pousse pas à utiliser une de ces deux. Ma principale raison d'utiliser ces deux en particulier est qu'elles ont une relation bancaire avec une banque de la zone euro et que donc on peut approvisionner son compte (en euros) à travers un transfert bancaire SEPA qui est "rapide" (1 - 2 jours) et peu cher (entre 0€ et 5€). |
Kraken (https://www.kraken.com/)
| I started on Kraken (despite the rather unappealing name, no prize for whoever chose this silly name) on recommendation from a friend. | J'ai commencé sur "Kraken" (en dépit du nom pas très attirant et plutôt puéril) sur recommandation d'un ami |
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| The US-based cryptoexchange Kraken has managed to open a banking relationship with an European bank, Fidor Bank AG (a German "internet bank", regulated by the BaFin, the German financial authority). | La bourse de crypto-monnaies américaine Kraken a réussi à ouvrir une "relation bancaire" avec une banque européenne, la banque en ligne allemande Fidor Bank AG (supervisée par l'autorité financière allemande, la BaFin). |
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Account Opening and Verification - Ouverture de Compte et Vérification
| Thus I started by opening an account on Kraken (pretty easy) and then looked at the "Funding"-> "Deposit" tab. One element of vocabulary: in the weird world of blockchain and crypto-nerds, what normal people call "money" has a different name: it's called "Fiat currency" (no relationship with the homonymous Italian automaker). | J'ai donc commencé par ouvrir un compte sur Kraken (pas compliqué) et j'ai ensuite regardé la section "Funding" (Gestion des fonds) -> "Deposit" (dépôts). Un élément de vocabulaire important: dans le monde étrange des férus de blockchain et crypto-monnaie, ce que les gens normaux appellent "argent" porte un nom différent: "Fiat currency" (pas de lien avec le fabricant automobile italien homonyme). |
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| In order to be able to use "fiat currency" with Kraken, you need first to "Get verified" from an "Know Your Customer" (KYC) / "Anti-Money Laundering" (AML) perspective. This is usual fare with all the institutions handling money (PayPal, banks, etc.) and is not overly burdensome. If you thought only "regular" money institutions would do KYC/AML, you were mistaken: many cryptocurrencies, and especially Bitcoin, have long left the shady area of anonymous transactions that attract unsavory fellows. | Afin d'utiliser du "fiat" avec Kraken, vous devez d'abord subir une vérification "Know Your Customer" (KYC) / "Anti-Money Laundering" (AML) ("connaître son client" / "anti-blanchiment d'argent"), classique dans le monde des institutions financières (PayPal, banques). Celle-ci n'est pas trop pénible. Si vous pensiez que seules les institutions financières "classiques" vous en ferait subir, vous vous trompiez: de nombreuses crypto-monnaies, et spécialement Bitcoin se sont depuis longtemps éloigné des zones d'ombre des transactions anonymes qui attirent des personnages douteux. |
| Once the verification successful (a day at max but can be faster) you can look in more details at how to credit your account with euro. | Une fois la vérification réussie (un jour tout au plus, mais ça peut être plus rapide) vous pourrez regarder plus en détail comment créditer votre compte avec des euros. |
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Deposit - Déposer de l'argent
| Once on the "Funding" tab and "Deposit" selected, choose the SEPA Deposit with Fidor Bank AG (SEPA) which is the fastest and cheapest method to fund your account. Scroll down the page and you'll find all the information needed to do a (normal) bank transfer inside the Euro zone. You could use the web interface of your bank to request a transfer (for instance). | Une fois dans la section "Funding" et avoir sélectionné "Deposit", choisissez "SEPA Deposit - Fidor Bank AG (SEPA) qui est la manière la plus rapide et la moins chère d'envoyer de l'argent entre comptes bancaires dans la zone Euro. Descendez dans la page et vous allez trouver toutes les informations nécessaires pour demander à votre banque (p. ex. à travers son interface en ligne) d'exécuter un transfer vers le compte de Kraken auprès de la Fidor Bank. |
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| Your bank will credit Kraken's account with Fidor and, thanks to the information you provide in the transfer form, Kraken will credit in turn your personal account with them. | Votre banque créditera le compte de Kraken auprès de la Fidor bank et dans le données du transfer il y aura assez d'information pour que Kraken à son tour crédite votre compte Kraken personnel. |
| Is this risky? Of course it is, everything related to cryptocurrencies is about risk! Including not owning any ... Which risk is greater and you want to take - whether spending some money to get some, or refraining from doing so and perhaps regretting it later - is entirely your choice ... Before deciding, you might want to read What's Bitcoin's Value? and ponder for yourself. | Est-ce que c'est risqué ? Bien entendu que c'est risqué, tout ce qui a à voir avec les crypto-monnaies est risqué, y compris ne pas en posséder ... Quel risque vous préférez prendre - dépenser une somme d'argent pour en acquérir un peu, ou vous abstenir et peut-être le regreter plus tard - est entièrement votre choix ... Avant de décider, n'hésitez pas a lire What's Bitcoin's Value? et à faire votre opinion. |
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| Kraken is not a bank and there's no strong guarantee they'll be around tomorrow. If they go bankrupt or disappear, your 50 or 100 euros will probably be lost (note they provide next to "Deposit" and "Withdraw" an "Audit" button on which you can click to see what measures they take in order to prevent these risks). | Kraken n'est pas une banque et il n'y a pas de garantie forte qu'ils seront encore ici demain. S'ils font faillite ou disparaissent, il est probable que vos 50 ou 100 euros seront perdus. Remarquez, ils ont un bouton "Audit" à côté des boutons "Deposit" et "Withdrawal", pour rassurer les clients. |
| However, the best path is probably to look at this as an "online training in blockchain and cryptocurrency" and consider that the euro you use here are "paid" (as with a coach or training provider) rather than "invested" (as with a bank or financial institution). | Cependant, la meilleure approche est probablement de regarder cela comme une "formation à la blockchain et aux crypto-monnaies" et par conséquent traitez les euros que vous utiliserez ici comme "dépensés" (comme avec un coach ou professeur) plutôt "qu'investis" (comme avec une banque ou institution financière). |
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| So use a sum you are comfortable with, something you'd spend on a family visit to a Zoo or Museum, or to a good restaurant, something like 40€ - 100€ or whatever else you feel you can have fun with. | Utilisez donc une somme avec laquelle vous êtes comfortables, une somme que vous dépenseriez par exemple pour une visite en famille dans un Zoo ou un Musée, ou dans un bon restaurant, quelque chose comme 40€ - 100€ ou toute autre somme avec laquelle vous pouvez vous amuser. |
Withdrawal - Retrait
| When I started, I wanted to first test the end-to-end process. I went on the web interface of my bank and ordered a small money transfer. I looked at the time it took for the money to arrive on my Kraken account (2 days) and the transfer fees (these depend on your bank but should range from as low as 0€ to perhaps 5€ but not more). | Lorsque j'ai commencé, j'ai tout de suite voulu tester le processus de bout en bout. J'ai transféré de l'argent depuis ma banque et j'ai observé le temps nécessaire pour voir cet argent arriver sur mon compte Kraken (2 jours) et les frais perçus (cela dépend de votre banque mais devrait varier entre 0€ et peut-être 5€ mais pas plus). |
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| Once I saw my money credited to my Kraken account, I used the "Withdraw" button. As you can see, you can add a bank account (I added mine). An important thing to note is the withdrawal fee, which is very reasonable: 0.09€ (very decent). I ordered instantly the withdrawal of the whole sum and then waited. Two days later, the sum (minus 9 cts) was back in my bank account. | Dès que j'ai vu l'argent dans mon solde Kraken, j'ai tout de suite utilisé le bouton "Withdraw" (retrait). Comme vous les remarquez, les frais sont très raisonnables (0,09€). J'ai demandé le retrait immédiat de l'entièreté de la somme et j'ai attendu. Deux jours plus tard, toute la somme (moins 9 cts) était de retour dans mon compte bancaire. |
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Buying Bitcoin (or other cryptocurrency) - Acheter du Bitcoin (ou une autre cryptomonnaie)
| As soon as you got your euros in your Kraken account, you can use the "New Order"' button in the "Trade" tab to place a buy order. As you can remark, the trading fees are very low compared to a typical stock exchange. Once your order has been fulfilled, your "XBT" balance will show how much Bitcoin you now own. | Une fois les euros sur votre compte Kraken, vous pouvez utiliser le bouton "New Order" (nouvel ordre) dans l'onglet "Trade" (négocier) pour placer un ordre d'achat. Comme on peut le remarquer sur l'image, les frais de transaction sont assez faible en comparaison avec une bourse d'actions typique. Lorsque votre ordre aura été exécuté, votre solde "XBT" montrera combien de Bitcoin vous possédez. |
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Wrap up - Récapitulatif
| I explained very briefly what is, in my opinion, the easiest way for a non-technical person in the Eurozone to start with Bitcoin (and other cryptocurrencies). I didn't get into the details of "trading" because the experience is very similar to trading stock on a stock exchange and I'm sure that whoever has read thus far can figure it out. If you have questions though, feel free to ask in comments. | J'ai expliqué très brièvement la manière la plus simple, selon moi, de commencer avec le Bitcoin pour une personne non-technique, dans la zone Euro. Je ne suis pas allé dans le détail des ordres d'échange parce que l'expérience est très similaire à celle d'achat-vente d'actions sur une bourse d'actions et je suis sûr que quiconque a lu jusqu'ici est capable de trouver par soi-même. Si je me trompe, n'hésitez pas à me le dire dans les commentaires. |
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| Also, I didn't say a word about the last step which I dubbed "optional" - withdrawing your freshly acquired Bitcoin to your own private wallet. If you listen to the geeks in the "Cryptoverse", they all agree that you should never let your crypto on an exchange! I reckon that is overkill ... Yes, there have been busts and bankruptcies and frauds and hacks. A bit like the bank robberies and hold-ups in the early days of banking, remember? | Je n'ai pas dit mot de la dernière étape que j'ai désigné "optionnelle", retirer le Bitcoin fraîchement acquis vers votre "portemonnaie cryptographique" privé. Si vous écoutez les "geeks" du monde crypto, ils s'accordent tous qu'il ne faut jamais laisser vos cryptomonnaies sur une bourse à cryptomonnaies! J'estime que c'est exagéré. Oui, il y a eu des faillites, des fraudes et des faillies informatiques. Un peu comme les casses et les "hold-ups" des banques au début de l'industrie financière et bancaire, au fond. |
A screenshot of a "bank robbery" from a video game
| Yet today nobody would seriously consider keeping their money under the mattress (in the Euro zone, at least). Withdrawing your Bitcoin to a properly secured personal wallet is, in my view, far too complicated and technical for the normal person to be worth the trouble. I don't want to discourage anyone from doing it, but you can be sure that the cryptocurrency exchanges will do everything in their power to avoid their customers losing funds. | Pourtant aujourd'hui personne n'envisage sérieusement de garder son argent sous le matelas (dans la zone Euro du moins). Retirer vos Bitcoins vers un "portemonnaie cryptographique" personnel est, à mon avis, encore beaucoup trop technique et compliqué pour une personne normale pour que ça vaille le coup. Je ne veux certainement pas décourager quiconque de le faire mais vous pouvez être sûrs que les bourses crypto feront tout ce qui est en leur pouvoir pour éviter que leur clients perdent leur fonds. |
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| I personally trust the exchanges to not lose my bitcoin more than I trust myself! If nevertheless I am extremely unlucky and it happens to me, I'd only lose a sum which I have already spent on a training. | J'ai d'ailleurs plus confiance en ces bourses de garder mes Bitcoins que j'ai en moi-même. Si toutefois j'étais très malchanceux et que cela devait m'arriver, je me dis que je perdrais seulement une somme que j'ai déjà dépensé pour une formation. |
Bitstamp (https://www.bitstamp.net/)
| What I wrote above is exactly how I started in early 2017. However, Kraken's web servers proved to be severely under-powered during the subsequent bubble from August 2017 onward. Even today, the site (which I still use from time to time) feels slow and clunky, it is a rather mediocre experience. I therefore moved on to Bitstamp, a company which is regulated in Luxembourg (where I live) by the Luxembourg financial regulator, the CSSF and has a euro-banking relationship with a Slovenian bank (its founders were Slovene). | C'est exactement comme ça que j'ai commencé, début 2017. Cependant les servers web de Kraken furent débordés pendant la bulle du bitcoin qui commença à partir d'août 2017. Même aujourd'hui, le site (que j'utilise encore de temps à autre) est lent et pas très agréable à utiliser. J'ai donc choisi de bouger vers Bitstamp, une bourse à cryptomonnaies supervisée par la CSSF, le régulateur luxembourgeois (où je vis) et qui possède une relation bancaire en euro avec une banque slovène (car ses fondateurs sont slovènes). |
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| Bitstamp has a lot less different cryptocurrencies on offer but otherwise it is quite similar to Kraken, only with a faster and nicer web interface. | Bitstamp offre beaucoup moins de cryptomonnaies mais est sinon assez similaire à Kraken, seulement avec une interface web plus rapide et plus agréable |
Conclusion
| If you don't know whether it's time to get on board the "ship of the future" (the blockchain technology), I recommend you watch (again) this TED presentation. It's more than two years old by now (mid 2016) and the technology has greatly advanced since, but the path of progress Don Tapscott points to remains the same. Ponder carefully where this is headed. | Si vous ne savez pas encore si c'est le bon moment pour monter à bord du "vaisseau du futur" (la technologie blockchain), regardez cette présentation TED. Elle a plus de deux ans (elle date de mi-2016) et la technologie a beaucoup avancé depuis, mais le chemin du progrès vers lequel pointe Don Tapscott reste le même. Pensez au cap que cette technologie tient |
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| I've linked below some posts you may want to read to find out more. Happy holidays and a very happy New Year 2019! | J'ai fourni ci-dessous des liens vers d'autres articles instructifs. Joyeuses fêtes et une très bonne année 2019! |
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If you know what witnesses are and agree that people commited to keeping this blockchain ticking play an important role ...
(by simply clicking on the picture - thanks to SteemConnect)
Related posts
- What's Bitcoin's Value?
- Crazy crypto evening
- De l'argent (Steemit en français, la suite)
- Why NOT buying Bitcoin is completely irrational
Blockchain, Crypto and Society
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- The Holy Blockchain
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Other posts you might enjoy:
Blockchain and Europe
- Europe, I love you! - Europe, je t'aime!
- The Blockchain Competence Center (BLKCC)
- European Financial Transparency Gateway
- Toward a pan-EU blockchain infrastructure
- Blockchain and Data Virtualisation
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- Blockchain4EU
- Poker Champion Tony G turns MEP Blockchain Champion!
- Virtual Currencies - an EP report July 2018 - Part 1
- Central Bank Digital Currencies - Part 2 of the "Virtual Currencies" EP report of July 2018
- Blockchain taming the Dragon of Corruption
- Sovereign identity on blockchain
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Steem ecosystem
- The Steemit adventure [2]
- Help Yourself! (steemit for dummies)
- Steem crypto-economics
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- Turn up the Heat! Steem Luxembourg
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- The best time to publish is now
- Historic evening: first beer paid with SBD in Luxembourg (+ Fr)
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- Setting up a new Witness Node!
- Why would anyone burn a bear? - SteemFest 3
- Steemit and the Fractal Society
- Crypto-contradictions
- Game Theory 101 - Schelling point or "Why Steemit.com is important"
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You might also want to check out
- my “lighthearted” account, @sorin.lite, perhaps you’ll like what you’ll see.
- the Ressolid account
- the Witness account, @lux-witness (and even approve it, perhaps)
I really like the way you explain and present, it is fresh and nicely understandable, also for people who are not into the topic.
a) still, I think what is definitely missing is the trigger why it is a good idea to buy some bitcoin. I mean, most "non-geeks" as you name them (haha!) are in doubt because they consider it as a strange-hacker-whatever invention. So I think you would profit of introducing some "bridging the gap" element between the fact (buying sth from 'artist' Nakamoto) and the how to, in order to raise more confidence. It may be that, because it continues immediately with sending money to somewhere/someone I am not familiar with sounds a bit like the nasty scam methods that are spread through many mailing lists. – maybe just a psychological thing, but nevertheless something not to neglect (in my eyes).
b) - optional: "take delivery of your cryptocurrency in your personal cryptocurrency wallet" -> this is not understandable by a non-geek ;)
c) between I'm not in any way "incentivized", I'm not "referring you" to any of these. and the introduction of Kraken, I would insert again a connection.... and mention in a brief sentence what is special about those two. Just mentioning, in order to point to what you are going to make more explicit afterwards. People tend to feel better while reading a text, when they are able to anticipate a little what is waiting for them. It's called putting some 'indicators', in order to show how the journey of your analysis may lead to. As the non-geeks are your target audience, I think it is also a very important thing to make them feel as comfortable as possible, so help them to not feel lost in your text, whenever you can.
d) An US-based cryptoexchange, Kraken has managed to open a banking relationship with an European bank, Fidor Bank AG(a German "internet bank", regulated by the BaFin, the German financial authority) . ---> there I think it's better to open with "as an US-based..." or "The US-based cryptoexchange Kranken has....", only to avoid Syntax Errors
e) maybe elaboration on : from an KYC/AML perspective. ? I find this pretty interesting, in order to show non-believers why crypto is not a silly game for hackers and geeks in order to dive into the dark side of money-transfer and smuggling, etc.... For me, the touch of KYC AML allows to insert the a certain kind of seriousness and reliability in this area.
f) Which risk is greater and you want to take - whether spending some money to get some, or refraining from doing so and perhaps regretting it later - is entirely your choice ... --- to be honest, you would not convince me with that argument ;) rather deter me for 'following' your argumentation. For me, this creates too much an atmosphere of: if you don't jump in, you are not cool enough, instead of convincing with qualitative arguments for doing so. (the coaching and training argument you offer slightly later is much better and sounds more favorable).
g) I think the conclusion is a bit too brief, but that again is just a personal opinion :)
h) sometimes you forget to put a point at the end of the paragraphs.... unity it the major role in text formatting, haha!
Happy Holidays,
Nora
Wow, that is some serious analysis there, you are destined to be a teacher I'd venture :-)
I've updated the post and tried to address all your points as best I could! Many thanks for the time you spent to read, analyse and formulate all these recommendations!
Happy holidays to you too!
Excellent post, Sorin. I was actually thinking - because I see some people on here suggesting Bitcoin as a Christmas present for "normal" friends and family and one of the issues that keeps coming to mind is "okay, I give you this slip of paper with your wallet address. then what?"
Because it seems to me hard to believe that these people previously not interested in the cryptosphere would now be all that willing to invest hours of research to understand how it all works. It seems hard, though of course it's not that difficult. One of the things I've learned since I got here is that there is a lot of information out there readily available. You just have to want it.
I've never gone through Kraken myself (yet), but I love how you explain it all here. It sounds like an excellent starting point.
Merry Xmas!! :)
Thank you, @honeydue. I got spurred by a lengthy phone call with a "normal" friend from Italy who had heard about Bitcoin but had no idea how one can buy it. I have told here my own story ("parcours initiatique") from spring 2017 (alas, far too late!)
I like your question a lot though - whether it's a personal wallet (a piece of paper with some seed words) or an account on an exchange - once one has it, then what?
For Bitcoin at least, I think the answer for a "normal" person is straightforward: "Hodl" - keep it there, it is your key and secret pass to the cryptoverse and you can use it later, whenever you choose, to enter the magical world of blockchain and crypto
For many other cryptos, such as Ether, I don't know the answer for a normal person - Ether is basically for geeks.
I wish Kraken and Bitstamp would list Steem - so I could offer an answer for Steem.
Hmm I think it takes a bit of time to understand the whole concept of HODLing, to really get into it, I mean. I remember when I started and of course, there wasn't much point in taking any crypto out then as the price wasn't skyrocketing, but I don't think I got much of what HODL was about. It just seems like a game, at least to outsiders and the fact that you get a username and password (much like in an online game) only compounds that impression, I think.
But then again, I think it depends a lot on the outsider's perspective, how much they're willing to get into crypto, whether they come at it from a skeptical point of view or not etc.
That would certainly be a huge improvement. See, when I try to explain to someone how exactly one can make money out of Steemit, it's weird to explain that you see, you convert them to bitcoin and then you get your bitcoin into the exchange and....you've already lost them at this point, though it's not that hard in practice. Still, one day. Soon, I hope.
Thanks for clarifying the verification procedure with Kraken. I have an account there, but never got to verify it as my bank was charging 10 or maybe 15 euro for the transfer... and I had no idea about that Fidor bank.
Well, I didn't actually needed as I have a local exchange that works well. When we're mooning and I'll have what to withdraw I'll explore all the options.
I started in 2017, too - amazing how many things we have learned in such short a time!
If I'm not mistaken you are in the "Sterling zone" though, is that correct? Or are there euro banks charging 10 or 15 euros for a SEPA transfer (what a racket!)?
I'm in Bucharest! That's the tax on my euro account... unfortunately!
Très bon article, complet et extrêmement pédagogique sur le sujet. Upvoté à 100% !
Merci beaucoup ! J'ai passé plusieurs heures dessus
Thank you, @sorin.cristescu! Thank you so much even before reading, because I needed this kind of tutorial. I have to read quietly and carefully. Because I hope to be true what you say: "Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies (such as Ethereum or Steem) are going to change the world as we know it."
Hi Sorin ! Very useful article indeed. I use Luno for buying Bitcoin and Ether. After the ID verification, it is very easy to buy or transfer cryptocurrencies to or from your bank account or credit card. It is a UK based firm and they have a very nice mobile app. The transfers are done within seconds. Cheers.
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Thanks for the info, never heard about Luno before! :-)
I guess nowadays there's a new cryptocurrency exchange popping up every week or so! :-)
Hi Sorin,
It's a great idea to give Bitcoin or any altcoin as a Christmas present. It would be nice to talk this idea a even further and to give crypto as a birthday present.
What do you think?
I had dinner with a friend of mine and he paid for the meal. I suggested to sent him my share in Bitcoin, so now he has a wallet too. :)
Great idea to take opportunities to give people reasons for having a non-empty wallet. IMO, when paying for meals in crypto it's best to use "stablecoins". My favorite of course is SBD (not that "stable" but close enough for my taste)
Thanks. That's a great idea too.
I feel like they get more excited about crypto when I sent Bitcoin or altcoins.
Because, when the coin they received pumps, I will ask them: "How do you feel today, you are getting rich?"
"What?"
"Yes, Ethereum jumped 25% today"
And then they start reading about it etc.
Also I like to share things. It's more fun when your friends are making some money at the same time. So hopefully 2019 will be a better year. :)
Very good tutorial! it's a good start for normal people :)
My suggestion is to buy the cryptocurrencies in exchanges and after that withdraw them to personal wallets. I had a bad experience with Mt.Gox back in 2014, where I lost 80€, and for this I was away from the cryptos for a while, until 2017 when I decided to invest again :P
Then again, a "personal wallet" is what ? Downloading and installing a bitcoin client and then taking care of keys and seed words personally - is that something a "normal" (non geeky) person can be bothered to do - or even should be expected to learn ? I doubt it.
And if we speak about a hardware wallet, what's the price of one ? I believe the Ledger Nano S is about 70€ ...
Spending 70€ to mitigate the risk of losing 80€ in a repetition of the MtGox crash from 2014? Not sure it makes that much sense ... :-) But hey, "once burned, twice shy!" :-)
What a great article dear @sorin.cristescou
It took me a while to read and I love the idea to bring more people into crypto by a present.
Was great to meet you at steemfest 3 and I‘m looking forward to longer meeting and talks in 2019.
Your @detlev
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Thank you! Glad to get to know you too! Looking forward to collaborating in 2019!
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Great article @sorin.cristescu, I think these are great times to jump on the bitcoin/crypto train... And many "normies" wonder how they can do it, this article demystifies.
/FF
Thank you, I hope so indeed :-)
No problem thanks for sharing!
/FF
Here in Holland I can use iDeal to purchase bitcoin on litebit, and I could also use coinbase or a bitcoin atm! Upvoted and resteemed!
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Hey Sorin, I have some problems with my computer, so I put you on autovote 100% once a day/post. If I don't respond so much it's because I have automated stuff and meanwhilst trying to fix/buy new hardware... Thanks for your strong support during 2018. Much respect!
/FF
No problem, mate! Take care!
@sorin.critescu Excellent article qui devrait permettre à de nombreux profanes de mettre le pied à l'étrier ;)
Merci !
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Happy new year!
Thank you, happy new year to you too!
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Félicitations @sorin.cristescu pour votre beau travail!
Ce post a attiré l'attention de @ajanphoto et a été upvoté à 100% par @steemalsace et son trail de curation comportant actuellement 28 upvotes .
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@ajanphoto
keep up the good work
the problem is not in bitcoin the problem is in a lot of big and powerful people controlling the wheel of the car the world riding ^_6, bitcoin is actually great and safe way to exchange between two parties no banks (that's a big world car's driver you have to be tough to miss with followed by the people governing countries and that's a second big driver)...bitcoin simply has too many powerful enemies
Good Luck BTC in your fight ...i joined BTC world since 2017 and i have no intention leaving O_O.
this is very interesting for me to understand, and I want to create an account to be there, I think it's very clear with the procedure in this post, indeed bitcoin is very much in demand by business people today, this is very extraordinary
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This post has received a 88.63 % upvote from @boomerang.
Why would any normal person be in the Eurozone? Are you crazy or insane maybe?
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The Bitcoin Oracle davincij15 calls a 2 year Bearmarket! - by sunny decree (Switzerland)
Any thoughts? - price is the main motivation for usage from my experience
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Good quality post, but i prefer to buy bitcoin B2B