[thrill]

I do not want financial regulation of virtual currency. I want people to be able to decide for themselves if they understand and are willing to take on risk - if they are not, then don't. Only allowing winners and losers and warts and unicorns will allow virtual currencies to find their place.

I DO want fraud prosecution, but we already have that.

[gamblor956]

Currency shouldn't be risky. It's a means of transacting. People shouldn't have to assume risk just to transact; they'll simply choose a less risky vehicle. It's fundamentally why Bitcoin won't succeed unless and until it gets its volatility under control.

[neomantra]

If MtGox halts trading, settles all pending BTC exchange transactions, return all fiat deposits, and then intentionally never returns any BTC, does one have any recourse?

I guess it would be some matter of Japanese law, international law (for claimants outside Japan), and the MtGox terms of service? What if these were virtual pets that people had traded?