As the AI market continues to balloon, experts are warning that its VC-driven rise is eerily similar to that of the dot com bubble.

  • higgs@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    What’s the underlying mechanism that gives money a value? We the humans give money and gold a value because we believe they’re valuable. Same with crypto. Bitcoin is literally like gold but digital. Stop saying what everyone without knowledge says and inform yourself. Not only about crypto, also about money etc.

    If you don’t understand the fundamentals of money, how can you judge something of being scam. There are lot of people here who didn’t even understand how money and gold works.

    • bigschnitz@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Money has value insofar as governments use it to collect tax - so long as there’s a tax obligation, there’s a mandated demand for that currency and it has some value. Between different currencies, the value is determined based upon the demand for that currency, which is essentially tied to how much business is done in that currency (eg if a country sells goods in its own currency, demand for that currency goes up and so does it’s value).

      This is not the same for crypto, there are no governments collecting tax with it so it does not have induced demand. The value of crypto is 100% speculative, which is fine for something that is used as currency, but imo a terrible vehicle for investment.

      • Freesoftwareenjoyer@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I don’t know if it’s good investment or not, but cryptocurrency has uses that are valuable to a lot of people. You can send money to other people without using a bank or PayPal and you can pay for things online anonymously. Some cryptocurrencies might have additional properties like Monero, which also gives you privacy. NFT might also have practical uses some day - for example it could be used for concert tickets.

      • higgs@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        You are right in that it increases people’s belief in money because it is the primary source of revenue for states. But if the majority of people did not believe in the piece of paper, it would be worth nothing. That is the fundamental value of money as we know it.

        There have been states where stones were the currency simply because the inhabitants believed in them.

        • Sludgeyy@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Gold Standard

          Linking money to a material with intrinsic value for it’s value

          Gold has intrinsic value

          US Dollar moved to be a Fiat Currency

          US Dollar is backed by a Government

          Crypto has zero intrinsic value, not linked to anything with intrinsic value, and not backed by a Government

          Crypto is an imaginary “item” some people want to have valve. Value is created because of this want.

          US Dollar is legal tinder for all US debts, Crypto is not

          Crypto is not a currency but a digital commodity

          • SCB@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Gold does not have intrinsic value. It is merely scarce (relatively speaking). The value of gold fluctuates all the time.

            • Sludgeyy@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Intrinsic - belonging naturally; essential

              Gold has physical applications that are needed

              Even if people didn’t want it because of the looks, gold would still be needed to make things

              Gold has intrinsic value because it is always going to be worth something

              Gold is never going to be worthless. That’s it intrinsic value.

              • SCB@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                Much of gold’s value (certainly before the ending of the Gold Standard) was totally subjective. It looks pretty. Being rare and pretty gave it value.

                I suppose you could tie some sort of value to technical application, but it isn’t intrinsic to gold itself. If society collapses tomorrow, gold isn’t suddenly going to be currency.

                • Sludgeyy@lemmy.world
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                  1 year ago

                  Yes much of gold’s value comes from the way it looks. Not disputing that.

                  I suppose you could tie some sort of value to technical application, but it isn’t intrinsic to gold itself

                  It is

                  Gold has properties that are unique. You can’t just use iron as a replacement. Apple can’t be like, “You know gold is expensive, I think we will just use cheap iron in our phones instead”. Not going to work out. There is a demand for gold over it just looking pretty.

                  This technical application is what gives gold it’s intrinsic value

                  Even if that value is really low it’s always going to be something

                  Well not always because, like you said, if society collapsed, Apple wouldn’t need to make phones. But at that point, all economic stuff is out the window. It would have to go through a bartering system until some kind of currency system could get started again. Eventually gold will be needed again. So really it still has value just not at the time.

        • SCB@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Money is a physical representation of the concept of value. Saying “what gives money value” is like asking “why does rain make clouds.”

          This is why printing money decreases the value of the currency - the value it represents has not changed so the value is diluted across the currency as the amount of currency expands.

    • aesthelete@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      What’s the underlying mechanism that gives money a value?

      A) the government backing it up along with its advanced military

      B) the fact that you have to pay taxes in it