Bitcoin
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Bitcoin: Three scenarios forecast the future of money
The rise of Bitcoin has brought with it a dream of an autonomous digital economy, free from corrupt banks and Big Brother governments. But as it gains more mainstream acceptance, some of Bitcoin's most loyal advocates believe that dream is threatened.
Recently, a group of Bitcoin purists, who believe the policy-advocacy group Bitcoin Foundation is kowtowing to government regulation, splintered off and launched Dark Wallet, a software platform for Bitcoin transactions that they claim "serves The People over enterprise and government interests". This schism leaves Bitcoin at a crossroads, and those who can influence its fate – core software developers, online exchanges and policy advocates – have a choice. Will the currency establish an informal existence in the black-market economy, or should it seek legitimacy by behaving like a model citizen of the financial world, gaining acceptance from authorities by showing a willingness to be regulated and taxed?