Bitcoin: A Disease or an Antidote?
The digital coinage, which is based on an open-source, peer-to-peer online global network, was launched in 2009 by a mysterious developer who refers to himself as Satoshi Nakamoto . Bitcoin is currently the most widely used alternative currency in the world, with its total value in circulation recently estimated to be worth over a billion dollars . Though it is a highly sophisticated and well developed concept in both theory and practice, Bitcoin would have an extremely deleterious effect on our society if its broader economic role were to increase to substantial levels. Although many view it as an extremely attractive alternative currency alternative, Bitcoin could potentially harm our society in three particular ways: by significantly increasing crime, by causing a drastic decrease in social development investment, and by destabilizing economies due to lack of government control and regulation. In recent months, Bitcoin has witnessed dramatic fluctuation i...