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How about five?

* private transactions: your identity need not be associated with donating to wikileaks or buying a sex toy

* irreversible: no chargebacks or transaction reversals

* unseizable: protection against civil forfeiture, IRS account seizures for "structuring", etc

* remittance: send any amount of funds anywhere in the world with minimum fees with no 3rd party ever having access to funds

* exit from corrupt monetary policies: see Argentina, Venezuela

But apparently these don't apply to you personally so it may be best to continue swiping your Mastercard™.

> but when I explain to them some, they all decide it's too risky,

This isn't much of a surprise after looking at some of your prior comments regarding Bitcoin. A few gems:

> Yeah, imagine using Netscape in 2017 and not Chrome - that's pretty much how I look at Bitcoin.

> Thanks, but no thanks! I'd keep as far away from this stinking pile as possible!

> Mere mortals do not have Bitcoin and are not interested in it - at all.

> everything you can say about Bitcoin, you can say about land as well - it's scarce, but unlike Bitcoin, it has a real utility.

> the conspiracy theory that CIA/NSA created Bitcoin to catch crooks now makes more sense than ever.

> I don't believe in Bitcoin, which is majorly driven by low-class Chinese speculators and exchanges!

patio11 is that you in there?

> I can send money to anyone I want to, I have no expectation of censorship or interference.

Except for donations to WikiLeaks. Or if you want to buy weed in one of the many states where it's legal. Or if the recipient's Paypal account has been frozen.

> The fees are low to zero depending on the exact method

Chase bank charged me $25 to send a wire transfer recently. Credit cards and Paypal charge me 3% to 5% when I sell something online.

> and I don't have to jump through hoops

When I sent that wire, I was required to answer slew of questions from a Chase representative including "What is this transaction for?" and "Do you plan to transact with this company again?"

> I have protections, insurance and various forms of reversibility

Perhaps as a buyer, but as a merchant, chargebacks are a nightmare.

> For most people, not really.

Huh. Most people I know detest banks and don't like the idea of handing over complete control of their money to someone else.

There just haven't been any alternatives until now.

Wish I could upvote this comment 1000x.

pikzen said:

> We live in societies with rules, with laws that we have agreed upon, and are, for the most part, fair.

Please review the highlights of the last ~150 years of American history. If you need a very long list of examples that contradict your statement, I'd be happy to oblige.

> What is it _for_?

It's a global immutable ledger that allows for the irreversible transfer of funds without needing to trust a 3rd party with the control of those funds.

Additionally, there's a cap on the total units of account that can exist.

Many people find a lot of value in all that, especially when compared to the slowness, surveillance, and inflation of traditional electronic monetary systems.