TechSmart 121, October 2013 TechSmart 123, December 2013 | Page 10
FEATURE
of 2013
The old Chinese curse “May you live in interesting times” certainly seems to have been in effect on the technology
front this year, as boredom was kept far at bay.
.
No 5
Bitcoin goes ballistic
I
t’s not every day that we see a new digital currency begin a seemingly unstoppable ascent,
but that is exactly the case with Bitcoin. In the four years since its inception, Bitcoin emerged
this year as the king of the virtual currency hill. Indeed, perhaps proof of its resilience
is that not even the shutdown of the Silk Road deep web site, which was an illicit drug bazaar
and only accepted Bitcoins for payment, seems to have dented its reputation much at all. In fact,
if anything, the Silk Road debacle seems to only strengthen Bitcoin’s rise.
2013 saw Bitcoin enjoy unprecedented strength and adoption, in parts due to a growing mistrust of
central banks and also as an investment opportunity. Also fueling its rise is the resounding support
for the virtual currency from none other F??V6????27WW'?vW"6????v??6?7W'&V?F???26???F?F?R?&vW7B&?F6???W?6??vR?????@???W?B?vV?6??6??W2'&?fP??@????2?V"?2&W6V?FVB??&RF??fWr6?????WrvFvWG2F?vWBW?6?FVB&?WB?'WB7F?F??p??WB???w7BF?V?v2F?R?V?6??bF?R?W?B?vV?W&F????b6??6??W2g&??6????B?7&?6?gB???F&?R2?BW76V?F????W&?G2?Wr6?FW"??F?R6v?b??FW&7F?fRV?FW'F???V?B??F?R?V?6?W2?bF?R&W7V7F?fR6??6??W2vW&V?( ?Bv?F??WBF?V?"6??G&?fW'7??B?'F???7&?6?gN( ?2?&????R6VV?VBF?f?FW"?WB?bF?RvFR?vV?v?VBF?v?v?F???W&?W2F?v?F?&?v?G0???vV?V?B??6?W2v??6?6???F???WfW'???'GV??G?F?&?F?7V?R?7V6?F?B?7&?6?gBWfV?GV??F?B?&?WBGW&????V?&W"?b?G2???F?????V?6V?V?G2?W?6W&&F??r?GFW'2v2F?P?6??f?&?F???F?BF?R?&????Rv?V?B???6??RF?fWr6V?V7B?&?WG2F??2?V"?v?F??F?W'2????6?VF??r6?WF?g&?6??VgBv?F??r?f?"6???( ?2'B??G2FV'WB6VV?2F??fR&VV?6??&F?fV??6???F?W"?v?F?F?R6??6??R6???rF???6?6??&W2F??2???F???f7B???????F?gFW"?G0??V?6?7FFW6?FR?????0???7&?6?gB&V?V??F?7v???w2f????6?v??@??????66R???? ( ?2'F?W'6??6?&6#v?F??7&?6?gBv6?( ?BV??Vv?F???F?6FRF?RGv?6????W2vW&R6??6R?F?V?????? ( ?2FV6?6???F?6V???G2??&??RF?f?6???F?F?R&VF???Bv??B6W'F???6??V?B?F?R#S&?????FV?v2gW'F?W ?6V?V?FVB'??7&?6?gB7V?&??r???? ( ?2FV?G2f?"??F?W"##"&??????F?RFV6?6????6??B?F?W"VffV7G2?v?F????W?6W72?b3"????V????VW2f??F??r?Wr???RB?7&?6?gB??B???? ( ?2&W6?FV?B?B4T??7FW?V?V?? ?7FW??rF?v?g&??F?R6????F?F?RW?Wr?b????W?V7WF?fRe?bFWf?6W2?B6W'f?6W2??vWfW"?F?RF?R?bGv?7FWfW2?B?W7B&VwV??2F?R7V?6?F???v2f????vVB'???F?W"6??vW"( 27FWfR&???W.( ?0????V?6V?V?BF?B?Rv?V?B&R'&??v??r??2FW&?B?7&?6?gBF??V?Bv?F????V"????B&V???B????R?F?W"F???V???26??6R&VV??VBf?"F?R?7B2&V??r?76?&?R&W?6V?V?B????FV6V?&W"#2?FV6?6?'@??