This is exactly why regulations exist. MtGox should need to register as a Money Service Business (MSB) in the US and as a Money Transmitter in each state that they support. That needs to happen even if they're not a US company. The same applies to the EU, Australia, Canada, and many other countries that have regulations around this kind of activity.
The purpose of the regulations are to protect consumers for companies that are either malicious or incompetent.
The problem is that the licensing process is expensive, painful, and long. There should be better ways. Nonetheless, there's a reason why the exist.
One of the things to also consider is where you live and if you're effected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a form of depression. It sounds like there's more going on than just your job, and you have to consider if your feeling about things have changed during the Winter.
It may be worth the effort of focusing on ways to improve your mood by exercising and spending time with friends to get you to a better state. That will let you think more clearly, have more energy for side projects, and seek out new employment or go out on your own.
There's usually a lot more going on with our mood than we initially think.
You can automate the DL verification process using Jumio. You hold your DL in front of your computer's camera, Jumio reads the info, and verifies the information. IIRC, Western Union uses Jumio for this very purpose.
You can also take money from a bank account using an account number and routing number. That's why Donald Knuth stopped sending out checks to pay bounties.[1]
> Is it another startup whose usefulness stems in a large part from the lack of ubiquitous free, same-day interbank payments between checking accounts in the US (unlike much of the rest of the developed world)?
I didn't list the payout time because it varies by bank. It is instant (24/7) when we're able to go through an ATM network like STAR or PULSE. We'll learn a lot more during the development.
We don't have any plans to offer interchange+ pricing. We found that would create more work for our customers. The predicability in pricing is part of the value that Balanced provides.
> We have an apartment near our San Mateo office that anyone can use when they’re in town. People tend to travel to San Mateo about once every 6 weeks on average.
This is one of the most important parts of the post IMHO. You have to see people at some point even if they work remotely or work occasionally from home. It's particularly helpful to coordinate travel schedules to get as many people in the office at one time no matter how small or large the company is.
The purpose of the regulations are to protect consumers for companies that are either malicious or incompetent.
The problem is that the licensing process is expensive, painful, and long. There should be better ways. Nonetheless, there's a reason why the exist.