Bitcoin Instead Of Gold In PP?

Other discussions not related to the Permanent Portfolio

Moderator: Global Moderator

Post Reply
Reub
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 3158
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2011 5:44 pm

Bitcoin Instead Of Gold In PP?

Post by Reub »

As a non-holder of Bitcoin, except for the .05 BC that Marc graciously gifted me, I was struck by what the performance of the PP would have been this year if we had held 25% Bitcoin and no gold. Being that Bitcoin is up 7000% in a year I'm guessing that the total return would have been about 1700%! Is BC a fair substitute for gold? Is this the future of the Permanent Portfolio?
Gumby
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 4012
Joined: Mon May 10, 2010 8:54 am

Re: Bitcoin Instead Of Gold In PP?

Post by Gumby »

From what I understand (and I could be wrong) the market for BTC is currently so small that any sale of a few thousand dollars will swing the price dramatically. Every time you rebalanced you'd probably cause a mini crash :)

But, again, that's just what I heard and could be wrong about that.

Also, the concept of the PP isn't to take risks and amass huge amounts of wealth. The PP is designed to protect you from any disaster, war or collapse and provide you with safety and peace of mind. A collapse of a power grid, for whatever reason, would instantly make the Bitcoins untradeable and a fairly useless currency in an emergency.
Nothing I say should be construed as advice or expertise. I am only sharing opinions which may or may not be applicable in any given case.
User avatar
smurff
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 981
Joined: Mon Aug 16, 2010 2:17 am

Re: Bitcoin Instead Of Gold In PP?

Post by smurff »

Gumby wrote: A collapse of a power grid, for whatever reason, would instantly make the Bitcoins untradeable and a fairly useless currency in an emergency.
An important point to remember.  It would seem obvious, but lots of obvious things are hard to grasp in the middle of a bubble.
Libertarian666
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 5994
Joined: Wed Dec 31, 1969 6:00 pm

Re: Bitcoin Instead Of Gold In PP?

Post by Libertarian666 »

Reub wrote: As a non-holder of Bitcoin, except for the .05 BC that Marc graciously gifted me, I was struck by what the performance of the PP would have been this year if we had held 25% Bitcoin and no gold. Being that Bitcoin is up 7000% in a year I'm guessing that the total return would have been about 1700%! Is BC a fair substitute for gold? Is this the future of the Permanent Portfolio?
How silly. Obviously the PP should be 100% bitcoin, because bitcoin went up 7000% in a year!
Reub
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 3158
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2011 5:44 pm

Re: Bitcoin Instead Of Gold In PP?

Post by Reub »

Exactly my point! :)
User avatar
moda0306
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 7680
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 9:05 pm
Location: Minnesota

Re: Bitcoin Instead Of Gold In PP?

Post by moda0306 »

Part of the reason I hold physical gold and physical cash is fear of counterparty risk.  Since we barely know anything about bitcoin's ability to weather a real $hitstorm, I don't understand the idea that it replaces gold in the least.  It's built, essentially, on purely on the idea that an algorithm that mimics scarcity can have intrinsic value because it's cool.

At least my US dollars act as a get out of jail free card :).

And if you think about it, isn't our monetary system built on an algorithm as well?

* If unemployment rate - target unemployment rate > inflation rate - target inflation rate, then Ease Monetary Policy
* If unemployment rate - target unemployment rate < inflation rate - target inflation rate, then  Tighten Monetary Policy

This is overly simplified, but for the most part, the fed hasn't verged too far away from this.
"Men did not make the earth. It is the value of the improvements only, and not the earth itself, that is individual property. Every proprietor owes to the community a ground rent for the land which he holds."

- Thomas Paine
ns2
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts: 141
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 4:39 pm

Re: Bitcoin Instead Of Gold In PP?

Post by ns2 »

If you do buy bitcoins be sure to make a backup copy of your cryptographic key.

I don't know anything about them but is it really true if you lose it the money is gone?

If so, this guy is really an idiot since he works in IT and should have known better.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/11/ ... 5-million/
Reub
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 3158
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2011 5:44 pm

Re: Bitcoin Instead Of Gold In PP?

Post by Reub »

I'm waiting for the day when there is a massive hacking of bitcoin and it all disappears into the ethernet....or somebody else's pocket.
User avatar
dualstow
Executive Member
Executive Member
Posts: 15581
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:18 am
Location: searching for the lost Xanadu
Contact:

Re: Bitcoin Instead Of Gold In PP?

Post by dualstow »

Sounds like an absent-minded professor. Smart enough to write the mining code, but too careless to leave himself a note to keep the drive.
Poor guy. It's even worse than throwing out winning lotto tickets.
ns2 wrote: ...
If so, this guy is really an idiot since he works in IT and should have known better.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2013/11/ ... 5-million/
No money in our jackets and our jeans are torn/
your hands are cold but your lips are warm
_ . /
Post Reply