Saturday, April 06, 2013

Blog #8 "Digital 'bitcoin' Currency Surpasses 20 National Currencies In Value"


            Bitcoin started in 2009, now exceeds more than $1 billion dollars worth of digital currency. It is not like other typical currencies there is no government or private company that issues the bitcoins. Bitcoin’s currency is “run by a computer code that distributes new bitcoins at a set rate to people who devote web servers to keep the code running. Then the bitcoins are bought and exchange for monetary currency. The recent world events have shown people the weak confidence in government-issued currencies. Currently, bitcoin sells for more than $100 U.S. dollars making them high in demand right now. Also, the bitcoin currency surpasses the value of the entire currency stock of countries like Liberia and 19 other countries. In Cyprus, their government is taking a small percentage of all citizens’ bank account to aid government’s finance. The citizens are withdrawing their money out of the banks and exchanging them into bitcoins. A little while ago, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network agency created the first official guidelines for private digital currencies. Controversy rises because currency can be exchanged anonymously online like “the Silk Road” a website where users buy illegal drugs and other prohibited items with bitcoins. Bitcoin currencies will comply with same regulations as traditional currency to exchange for real money. However, using bitcoins to purchase goods or services are not under the same rules. The use of bitcoins for legal transactions has a lower risk of identity theft.
            Bitcoin brings a new age of digital currency. When people secure bitcoins they hold an actual thing of value. It helps people protect their money when the country’s currency stock starts to fall in value. Also if the government tries to take their money from the bank accounts the citizens can take out the money from banks and exchange them into bitcoins.

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