Overstock公司CEO:我支持、但不持有比特幣
????比特幣引起了極大關(guān)注。接受比特幣支付是否只是你們的一種營銷手段? ????比特幣的使用率很低,但我認(rèn)為,只要我們和其他大型零售商開始接受比特幣,情況就會很快發(fā)生變化。 ????僅僅在十二月份,比特幣的幣值就在480美元至1,280美元之間大幅波動(dòng),非常不穩(wěn)定。這種情況是否讓你有一種心驚肉跳的感覺? ????沒有。我們不會持有任何比特幣。這只是一種交易媒介。我們只是接受比特幣支付,然后將它兌換成美元,至少在最初是這樣做。如果我們每天進(jìn)行一次兌換,那么最大的風(fēng)險(xiǎn)將是比特幣當(dāng)天的波動(dòng)性。不過,據(jù)我所知,這種風(fēng)險(xiǎn)已經(jīng)很高。 ????目前尚沒有對沖這種風(fēng)險(xiǎn)的衍生工具,但據(jù)我們預(yù)測,以后肯定會出現(xiàn)某種形式的衍生產(chǎn)品。 ????你還預(yù)見到了什么其他的什么風(fēng)險(xiǎn)嗎? ????我其實(shí)并沒有看到其他風(fēng)險(xiǎn)。而且,比特幣的使用者不僅僅是在Silk Road上購物的那些人。越來越多的人不相信政府管理經(jīng)濟(jì)的能力。而我們接受比特幣支付其實(shí)是在向這些人發(fā)出一個(gè)信號,讓他們知道我們支持他們,我們與他們有著相同的質(zhì)疑。 ????華盛頓為比特幣召開過聽證會?你有沒有對任何人談起過這種貨幣? ????我會避免與華盛頓的任何人進(jìn)行討論,不過,我們有律師會與他們商談。他們認(rèn)為,華盛頓對于比特幣和比特幣的監(jiān)管仍然存在質(zhì)疑,當(dāng)然假如比特幣需要監(jiān)管的話。擔(dān)憂的焦點(diǎn)是類似Silk Road這樣的黑市網(wǎng)站和洗黑錢者。我們當(dāng)然不會鼓勵(lì)、也不會容忍這樣的行為,我們會嚴(yán)格遵照美國法律。 ????美國是否會禁止使用比特幣,尤其是零售商和消費(fèi)者? ????我看不出他們有什么辦法禁止。我認(rèn)為,如果比特幣的使用足夠普遍,它將會對美國經(jīng)濟(jì)帶來非常積極的影響。如果我們的貨幣系統(tǒng)開始崩潰,像2008年一樣,再次陷入惡性通貨膨脹和系統(tǒng)性風(fēng)險(xiǎn),對于那些對官辦機(jī)構(gòu)失去信心的人來說,比特幣將為他們提供一種便利的保值手段。 ????目前涌現(xiàn)出許多比特幣交易初創(chuàng)公司。你們計(jì)劃與哪一家合作? ????我們正在與三家公司談判。 ????能知道他們的名字嗎? ????目前還不方便透露。(財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)) ????譯者:劉進(jìn)龍/汪皓?? |
????Bitcoin has gotten a lot of attention. Would you say that accepting it at Overstock is just a marketing tool for your company? ????Adoption of bitcoin is low, but I think once we and some other major guys start accepting it that could change very quickly. ????In December alone, bitcoin fluctuated between $480 and $1,280. This is super volatile. Does that freak you out at all? ????No. We're not going to be holding any bitcoin. It's just a medium of exchange. We're just going to be taking bitcoins as payment and converting them into U.S. dollars, at least initially. If we just do the conversion every day, the most risk would be the volatility it experiences in one day, which is still pretty high I know. ????There aren't any derivative instruments out there yet to hedge that risk, but we anticipate they will be created in one way or another. ????Any other risks you see? ????I really don't see any. Plus a certain type of person is using bitcoin -- not just the guys shopping on Silk Road. An increasing population distrusts the government's ability to manage the economy. This is a way of signaling to these people that we stand with them and we share their same doubts. ????Washington has been holding Congressional hearings on Bitcoin? Have you talked to anyone about the currency? ????I avoid discussions with anyone in Washington, but we have lawyers that talk to them, and they say that in Washington there are questions about bitcoin and how it's going to be regulated, if at all. The concern is primarily the Silk Road kind of crowd and money launderers. We certainly don't want to encourage or condone that kind of behavior and we'll do everything the law requires us to do. ????Can the U.S. stop bitcoin from being adopted and used, especially by retailers and consumers? ????I don't' see how they can. If anything, I think if usage gets widespread enough, it could have a beautiful effect for the United States. If our current system starts melting down or we start experiencing hyperinflation and systemic risks and all kinds of things we experienced in 2008, then it will provide a very convenient way for people to move to a safe store of value as they lose faith in the current government-run institutions. ????A few bitcoin exchange start-ups have emerged. Who are you planning to use? ????We're down to negotiating with three companies. ????Which ones? ????We haven't disclosed that yet. |