On Tue, Jan 28, 2014 at 10:54 AM, Stefan Jafs <[email protected]> wrote: > Came across this new internet “currency” > > http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/01/21/why-bitcoin-matters/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&hpw&rref=technology&_r=1&; > > Anyone using it? Is this the future?
Not new, as others have pointed out, and yes, lots of uses for it - including rescuing your files from the malware known as cryptolocker. IMHO, it's not likely to stand the test of time, but might prove temporarily useful. There are *many* alternatives: https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/List_of_alternative_cryptocurrencies It's a follow-on (in some sense) to e-gold: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-gold The founder of e-gold has moved on: http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2013-11-29/e-gold-founder-launches-new-gold-backed-currency The utility of these alternate currencies will probably continue until governments feel threatened by it, at which point it will be criminalized - like what happened to gold itself in 9133: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_6102 and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_Reserve_Act Kurt
