Bitcoin

German Finance Ministry recognizes bitcoin as currency

"Key aspects of the bitcoin, a popular online currency, have been recognized for legal and tax purposes by Germany, newspapers reported Saturday. The recognition, which was laid out in a Finance Ministry response to a query from a member of parliament, means Germany recognizes the online currency as a 'currency unit' and 'private money,' reported the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and the Neue Osnabruecker Zeitung. Bitcoins have been a popular form of payment among netizens since 2009 although economists question their viability because they are backed by neither a government nor a central bank." Continue reading →

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Decoding Bitcoin

"Chances are you have never used a Bitcoin, but you’ve probably heard of it. The virtual currency is popping up more and more in the news and the government has been showing an increased interest in the subject. For instance, the top Democrat and Republican on the Senate’s Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee this week told federal financial regulators and law enforcement officials to explain how they are keeping tabs on 'virtual' currencies, including the $1.2 billion market for Bitcoins. So what, errr, is a Bitcoin? What follows is guide to understanding the currency, why it’s used and why the government is paying attention." Continue reading →

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Subpoenaed CEO: You’ll use Bitcoin without even knowing it

"The founder of Coinsetter, one of the 22 companies subpoenaed on Monday as part of an effort to regulate Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, isn’t concerned about the future of his industry. Not in the least bit. 'In the future, most people will use Bitcoin without even knowing it,' Jaron Lukasiewicz, cofounder and CEO of Coinsetter, a foreign exchange trading platform for Bitcoin, wrote in an email to me. 'Bank transfers will take place over the Bitcoin network, making transfers quick and inexpensive for both banks and consumers.' The New York City-based Coinsetter raised $500,000 from Tribeca Vebture Partners this April." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSubpoenaed CEO: You’ll use Bitcoin without even knowing it

Bitcoin vs Gold: Getting the Most Bang For Your Buck

"There's a new Bitcoin sheriff in town. It's called the Digital Asset Transfer Authority -- or DATA. And it's not just limited to Bitcoins, it will self-govern most of the actors in the digital currency space, including Ripple. Again, this is on a purely voluntary basis. With regulators increasingly cracking down on various crypto-currencies, DATA is attempting to get ahead of the game -- and craft best practices to interact with regulators. Bob talks with Trace Mayer, entrepreneur, and Andreas Antonopoulos, internet security expert, and asks if the new regulatory authority, DATA, goes against the original purpose of Bitcoins -- namely anonymity." Continue reading →

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Jeffrey Tucker: How Bitcoin is Reinventing The Monetary System

"'We're talking about reinventing the world's monetary system...from the ground up,' says Jeffrey Tucker, executive editor of Laissez Faire Books, and an enthusiastic proponent of the open source peer-to-peer currency system Bitcoin. After participating in a panel discussion on Bitcoin at Freedom Fest, Tucker sat down with Reason Magazine's Matt Welch to explain why he believes Bitcoin is an example of a new enterprise that can help create 'a new world of liberty, despite the existence of the leviathan state.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingJeffrey Tucker: How Bitcoin is Reinventing The Monetary System

Bitcoin Boom? US fears digital currency may hit dollar demand

"The US is becoming increasingly concerned over virtual currencies, launching broad investigations into Bitcoin and the likes. The online currency has won official recognition with a US federal judge ruling it is real money. A Texas man, being tried for laundering billions of dollars using the Bitcoin system, challenged the court by saying bitcoins were virtual and couldn't be the basis for a fraud charge. He failed. RT's Peter Oliver went to meet those who have no doubt bitcoin has real value." Continue reading →

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Congress Is Nervous About This Whole Bitcoin Thing

"A Senate committee sent a letter to DHS asking what the agency is doing to crack down on the illicit use of Bitcoins. Similar letters were sent to a host of other three-letter agencies including the DOJ and the SEC. “The speed at which payments can be sent globally and the potentially profitable investments that can be made trading virtual currency have made them attractive to entrepreneurs and investors alike,' write Senators Thomas Carper (D-Del.) and Tom Coburn (R-OK) in the letter. 'However, their near anonymous and decentralized nature has also attracted criminals who value few things more than being allowed to operate in the shadows.'" Continue reading →

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Bitcoins are a buy at $50, says equity fund VP

"Bitcoins aren’t going to crash and burn, and could be be a good investment at $50. So says famed banking analyst Richard Bove, vice president of equity research at Rafferty Capital Markets. What’s more, Bove wouldn’t mind buying bitcoins at the right price. 'If I could buy them at a low enough price, like $50, then I think it would be worthwhile speculating with a few of them,' he said in a phone interview. Bove decided to write about bitcoins after a top New York bank regulator issued subpoenas to several major bitcoin companies and issued a memo on virtual currencies." Continue reading →

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Micropayments now ready to slash price of online news

"Microtransactions could let users read the rest of a New York Times article for a few cents instead of signing up for a full monthly subscription, Armstrong wrote, or 'pay for Wi-Fi internet metered by the minute (or second!) if you just need to check one email' or 'support your favorite artists or coders with a tip'. The idea of a Bitcoin-based paywall is already out there. BitWall aims to give publishers more flexibility over how they charge for content, allowing for sales of daily, weekly or monthly subscriptions, or on a per-article basis. Meanwhile, Flattr allows people to make donations to the creators of free online content." Continue reading →

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Goodbye Switzerland, Hello Bitcoins

"Given that the allure of bitcoins has been attributed by some to its status as an untraceable alternative to currencies issued by central authorities, there is little reason to assume that bitcoin market participants will honor their tax obligations as soon as the rules are explained more clearly. Thus, it is not surprising that the potential for bitcoins and other virtual currencies to replace offshore accounts as '[t]omorrow’s tax havens' has been the subject of scholarly analysis and commentary (here and here). It remains to be seen how the IRS will attack the use of bitcoins and other virtual currencies to evade income tax obligations." Continue reading →

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