[wsxcde]

> As far as I can tell it also helps avoid bank runs.

Sounds plausible but it puts the exchanges in a major position of power in the bitcoin economy. If they're actively managing liquidity of the BTC economy in this manner I have a hard time understanding why they're any better than the central banks that bitcoiners are attempting to disrupt.

> It might also allow the exchange to operate with money it doesn't actually have, but that's just speculation on my part.

Let's hope not, because that is literally a ponzi scheme.