[lusr]

Whenever I see interesting events like this, my first thought is not "what would happen" but always "how could I profit from what would happen [or the uncertainty around it]".

Unfortunately I never know how to answer that question convincingly enough to put my money where my mouth is. Does anybody know if there's a place where people discuss these sorts of things, e.g. a "Hacker News for Financial Markets"? Any interesting ideas for coming out of this on top?

EDIT: Two answers have pointed to gold. Yup, I have already played with investing in gold ETFs, which generated a 20% return over the past 2 years, even after fees. However I was wondering if there were any more ideas specific to the present circumstances, and where, if anywhere, people discuss this sort of thing?

[wintersFright]

Decide what you think would replace assets in Central Bank balance sheets to allow world trade to continue - ie: what would settle world trade deficits.

Yuan, gold, silver or bitcoin?

Hint: Bitcoin and silver are not held by central banks as assets. Yuan's value is subject to the policy of China's politburo. Fool me once on the USD...

That leaves one asset that can't be printed into existence: http://www.ecb.europa.eu/press/pr/wfs/2013/html/fs130924.en....

[oleganza]

World trade does not need any central bank to continue. People only need freedom to do transactions without constant interference. If gov currencies are to collapse, there are only to choices: private IOUs in private banks backed or not by gold (either way, a huge amount of trust is needed to be placed in the banks, almost no one is going to move gold across the world all the time); or bitcoin - which enables world trade without necessary placing trust in intermediaries.

[wintersFright]

Gold doesn't need to move, only the name under which it is stored needs to change. Bitcoin - a four year old currency invented by a pseudonym - is not going to be used to clear trades at a sovereign level. Arabs are not going to ship oil in the ground for bitcoin.

[oleganza]

If gold is not moved, it's as good as a promise of the vault owner that holds it for you. History shows that this promise was constantly broken before and after invention of central banking.

To own either bitcoin or gold you need to move it in your personal vault. But in case of bitcoin, it's many times cheaper to move it and have many vaults with extra protections.

Arabs will happily ship oil for bitcoin when both buyers and sellers of oil will no longer be able to use USD or trust banks standing in the way. And, of course, when they learn about bitcoin and we have better infrastructure to support secure storage and trade.

[oleganza]

Some people invest in gold, silver and/or Bitcoin as a hedge against fiat currency collapse.