Show HN: Bitcoin Binary Options Exchange

http://www.futureblock.com/options/btc_usd

by locksley • 13 years ago

29 8 13 years ago

Aqueous• 13 years ago

It wasn't the monopolisation of currency or governmental regulation that caused the financial crisis - it was derivatives, and too many people using them off-load their risk to too few people(i.e., AIG)

You can avoid this by attracting a large number of risk-takers who diversify their holdings. But, that doesn't obviate the fact that too little derivative regulation caused the financial crisis, not too much.

bcoates2• 13 years ago

These options are based on the spot price of another exchange, rather than being tied to a futures contract or something you could actually settle by trading USD for BTC or back. You aren't actually buying or selling an option, but gambling on how much you would have made or lost with a given option trading strategy.

This is known as a "Bucket Shop" and is a classic scam.

wangchong87• 13 years ago

I can see Binary Options have limited hedging value as compared to Vanilla Options. But it's incorrect to label it as a scam.

Most futures/options on "traditional" markets are settled in cash rather than physical delivery.

bcoates2• 13 years ago

There's nothing wrong with settling in cash. There is something wrong with failing to maintain the separation between marketplace and counterparty. There's no meaningful settlement at all here; there is literally no way to get USD into or out of this site--you just get BTC back on take-it-or-don't terms.

You're playing craps, only the dealer rolls the dice for you behind a screen and tells you if you won or not.

I wasn't familiar with the specific subspecies of this called "Binary Options" before, but even basic investigation makes it clear that yes, Binary Options are a scam product. There do not appear to be any legitimate binary options marketplace/peddlers.

There's no reason you couldn't structure an exactly equivalent product out of legitimate securities, so there's no reason for this product to exist outside of running cons.

pyalot2• 13 years ago

Will be taken down by the SEC in 3, 2, 1...

jboggan• 13 years ago

Why did you revamp the site from its setup 4 weeks ago? Why the switch to this "options" form over the previous parimutuel betting scheme?

Where are you operating out of? I'd be really careful operating this sort of thing without legal protections.

It doesn't seem like you have much capital committed to taking these bets. How are you calculating your risk exposure?

Show HN: Bitcoin Binary Options Exchange

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