How Cyprus crisis has some thinking of Bitcoin

Molly Wood Apr 1, 2013
HTML EMBED:
COPY

How Cyprus crisis has some thinking of Bitcoin

Molly Wood Apr 1, 2013
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Amid the banking crisis in Cyprus, an online-only currency called Bitcoin is getting new attention. Some argue it could be used as a safe haven for people worried about having their deposits taxed in Cypriot banks. Evidence that people turned to Bitcoin amid the Cyprus mess is actually quite slim, although one company announced last week it wanted to create the first Bitcoin ATM in Cyprus.

And with the added attention comes increased scrutiny from regulators around the world. U.S. authorities have come out with some new guidelines, and that has rankled some Bitcoin advocates.

“It was very well designed, the technology makes it so that you don’t need a central authority to check where transactions are going,” says Adrianne Jeffries, who has been covering Bitcoin for The Verge.

But what exactly is Bitcoin?

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.