I think that Microsoft would make more money if those "500 million!" XP users woke up one day, realized their 10-year-old XP tower no turns on, and were forced into buying a newer PC.
Problem is, this is not a great time for that. Should have waited for Windows 9 to be released. ):
You can have an async implementation and synchronous code. http://meteor.com does that part quite nicely. The compiler or runtime should be handling this kind of cruft for us in most cases. Just because using Brainfuck might result in theoretically faster code than Ruby doesn't mean we should be writing our server in Brainfuck.
Bitcoin isn't a currency by most textbook definitions. As Bitcoin is now, it will never replace fiat currencies because it is not a stable store of value (among other reasons). For now, Bitcoin is just another way to send fiat and something of an investment.
So Bitcoin fanatics who believe Bitcoin will replace fiat are wrong - unless they're willing to accept major changes to the system that go against their usual beliefs. (And even then, I doubt many governments would sit idly by, for good reason.) But for practical people who don't want to deal with buyer fraud, exorbitant fees, and lack-of-privacy, Bitcoin is great.
Buffett may be a killjoy and trying to preserve the current system which tends to benefit the wealthy and well-connected. I'd guess he probably has a lot of stake in that. But he is correct for now.
That was Charlie Munger, but Bitcoin fans tried to pin it on Buffett too, because he is a billionaire and happened to be in the same room as Munger at the time.
I suppose I can use my limbs to buy illegal drugs. If only they were virtual and could be transferred internationally with little or no fees - all done more easily than sending an email.
"Not involved with Bitcoin" leaves the door open to having been involved with Bitcoin in the past. I wonder if he was trying to deny past involvement with Bitcoin but worded it poorly, or if he was merely being clever in his wording, like a politician. Perhaps we'll find out.