I think the more productive sentiment would be to try and have a more in depth discussion about Ethereum instead of attacking HN ad-hominem.
So, as someone who doesn't know much about crypto aside from "it's bitcoin!", please tell me, what advantage do stablecoins/Ethereum provide that fixes the problems presented with bitcoin? I actually want to learn more.
I would be interested to know about the volatility specifically and also if these currencies are less susceptible to a 51% attack or a fork.
Stablecoins are a way to use the Ethereum network (or another blockchain) to send value that is pegged to the US dollar. There are a lot of stablecoins now (USDC, DAI, USDT) and they have various mechanisms for staying pegged to the dollar, some more effective than others.
Using stablecoins allows you the advantages of the Ethereum network (interoperability with ethereum loan platforms and other smart contracts) without having to be concerned with the price of ETH.
Stablecoins have the same level of security as their underlying blockchain. To double-spend ethereum-based stablecoins you need to 51% attack Ethereum itself.
I want to add that Ethereum gas (fees), are at the moment quite expensive.
That being said, there's work being done to lower that and competing blockchains are coming up, that support the EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) or at the very least supporting Solidity (which in turn compiles to EVM assembly).
There's a amazing fintech ecosystem being created in Ethereum, with decentralized exchanges, trustable oracles, DAOs, etc. It's definitely worth the look.
So, as someone who doesn't know much about crypto aside from "it's bitcoin!", please tell me, what advantage do stablecoins/Ethereum provide that fixes the problems presented with bitcoin? I actually want to learn more.
I would be interested to know about the volatility specifically and also if these currencies are less susceptible to a 51% attack or a fork.