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The Virtual And The Real Economic Worlds

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1.1 - Introduction

The virtual and the real economic worlds are intermingling more than ever before, raising the possibility that cryptocurrency might eventually replace the government-run system of euros, dollars and yen. Before extensively explaining why Bitcoin, a virtual currency, will have a financial impact, we must first understand what it is exactly. Bitcoin is an online digital currency, created in 2009 by a Japanese man with the pseudonym “Satoshi Nakamoto”.¹ While many believe this currency is backed by a physical institution or pegged by a commodity, it is simply a mathematical algorithm free of regulation that acts as an alternative to the banking system. With digital currency such as Bitcoin, there is no central bank or government to trust, you’ve just got to trust the math. People are losing faith in traditional credit unions and are looking for new stores of value. CryptoCurrency allows anybody to have a bank in their pocket. Simply put, the way the internet changed how the world communicates, bitcoin changes the way money works.

1.2 - Forms of Money

Digital currency is going to happen, in fact, it’s already happening. Whether it happens now or in 10 years, we will be using digital currencies that don’t depend on traditional fiat government. Currently, in 2014, money is still being issued on paper and in metal coins, but not solely. Most forms of cash actually exists as database entries backed by the state’s promises. “ I don’t know about you, dear reader,

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