However, those that get the richest are in fact always the mining companies.
The top miners of bitcoins have gotten radically richer than those selling mining tools ever will. In this case the mining will run out, the bitcoins will remain and grow more valuable due to supply / demand (assuming bitcoin succeeds longer term).
There are far more $5+ billion mining companies, than there are $5+ billion mining tools companies.
Go down the list of the top 20 mining or natural resource extraction companies. The tools business is always radically smaller by comparison. eg: BHP Billiton, $156b market cap; Rio Tinto, $76b market cap; Vale $68b market cap. And of course the oil industry is far more dramatic.
Selling tools like the bitcoin mining boxes is foolish, unless you're selling lemon tools that won't recoup their investment (people will stop buying them quickly), or unless you're betting bitcoin won't thrive long term. If you think bitcoin will thrive, it's far better to mine each coin yourself and own it long term, and ride that extreme appreciation. The return would be far beyond any margin you could earn on boxes.
Hindsight is 20/20: It also could have happened that bitcoin prices are down to $1 right now and then BFL and other shovel sellers would vastly outperform dedicated miners.
The top miners of bitcoins have gotten radically richer than those selling mining tools ever will. In this case the mining will run out, the bitcoins will remain and grow more valuable due to supply / demand (assuming bitcoin succeeds longer term).
There are far more $5+ billion mining companies, than there are $5+ billion mining tools companies.
Go down the list of the top 20 mining or natural resource extraction companies. The tools business is always radically smaller by comparison. eg: BHP Billiton, $156b market cap; Rio Tinto, $76b market cap; Vale $68b market cap. And of course the oil industry is far more dramatic.
Selling tools like the bitcoin mining boxes is foolish, unless you're selling lemon tools that won't recoup their investment (people will stop buying them quickly), or unless you're betting bitcoin won't thrive long term. If you think bitcoin will thrive, it's far better to mine each coin yourself and own it long term, and ride that extreme appreciation. The return would be far beyond any margin you could earn on boxes.