Can a virtual currency replace the U.S. dollar? Since the launch of Bitcoin in 2009, this virtual currency has gained considerable popularity and notoriety. However, it still accounts for a miniscule share in both number and the total value of payment transactions. With the increasing acceptance of virtual currencies around the world, it is important to note if the Bitcoin can be used for everyday transactions. The prime objective of this research is to evaluate whether the Bitcoin has the ability to act as a good substitute for the fiat money used in a preponderance of transactions today. This paper discusses the various roles played by traditional money and how well these roles can be played the Bitcoin. Relevant data and research are used to find the various advantages and disadvantages of using a virtual currency like the Bitcoin over other methods of payment which we commonly use today.
Introduction
We have commonly seen payment instruments like the credit and debit cards being used for everyday transactions. Virtual currencies like Visa reward points and store credit, which can be exchanged for other goods, also have been around for quite some time now. However, recently a decentralized virtual currency called the Bitcoin has emerged as the most accepted worldwide digital currency. This currency made its debut in the year 2009 and is produced by participating computers who solve complex algorithms and are rewarded with coins which are then stored in virtual wallet (Stark 2013).
People, who are not familiar with virtual currencies, can be quite astonished to learn that a currency which is not backed by any government or even physical assets, can be considered money. On the other hand, the Bitcoin community consider it...
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...sh or physical money by using the technological role which it performs. The current shares of non-cash payment instruments showed us the pattern of increase in use of non-cash payment instruments, especially credit and debit cards. Bitcoin being a non-cash payment instrument itself was then stacked up against the functions which money can play for us. However, several disadvantages were found of using the Bitcoin and it could not conform the definition of money. The Bitcoin showed potential to be used as a medium of exchange with its negligible transaction costs and it's increasing acceptability but still exposed businesses to unnecessary risk of being scammed. When the Bitcoin was considered to be a unit of account and a store of value, it showed its volatile and deflationary nature which limits its ability to act as a viable alternative to fiat currency as of now
Bitcoins experienced tremendous growth in 2017. World leading retailers such as Dell, PayPal, Microsoft and Expedia accept bitcoins as a means of payment. Publications are always publishing bitcoin news and forums discussing this cryptocurrency and how its traded. This has resulted in a lot of media and investor attention. This article, therefore, tries to explain to the readers what bitcoins are, how to buy them, their features, how they work and their advantages.
PKC is the enabling technology for all Internet security and the increasing use of digital signatures, which are replacing traditional signatures in many contexts. However, RSA is better than PKC because RSA doesn’t need digital signature. As a result, the RSA algorithm turned out to be a perfect fit for the implementation of a practical public security system. In 1977, Martin Gardner first introduced the RSA system. After 5 years, company RSA used secure electronic security products. Nowadays many credit companies of all over the world use the RSA system or a similar system based on the RSA system.
The topic that I’m going to write about in this paper will be on the electronic currency released in 2009 known as Bitcoins. Bitcoins is a type of currency that entails computer software to be used with one person exchanging with another person for a different kind of trading option such as the US dollar, products or services. There is a fourth reason why Bitcoins can be exchanged which is done when a person is mining, that occurs when a participant acts as a mediator for transactions whereas mediator approves and documents. Bitcoins is one of the largest and first electronic currencies ever created by any developer including the makers Satoshi Nakamoto. Bitcoins doesn’t meet the characteristic guidelines to be considered an actual type of currency, though the US Treasury recognizes it as a type of decentralized currency in that no person or organization including governments oversees the transaction of Bitcoins.
Many would say that Bitcoin is a revolutionary new currency, in fact, it is the first currency of its type. It is completely decentralized from governments, it is created as a payment for computer processing power and recording payments into a public ledger. This process is called “mining”. It allows users to process economic activity of the Bitcoin currency, when the currency’s transactions are processed, the computer that processed the transaction gets a tiny reward for its processing power. This is how new Bitcoins are created. To claim the reward, a special transaction called a coinbase is included in the processed payments, all Bitcoins in existence can be traced back to their original coinbase transaction. Right now the reward for adding a block is 25 Bitcoins, that number will be halved in 2017 to 12.5, and then will be halved again every 4 years. Eventually there will be no reward other than the transaction fee, this will occur around the year 2140. Payers have a large incentive to include a transaction fee because then their transaction is usually processed by other users more quickly. People processing have the option to choose whether to process transactions that include a transaction fee or just the standard reward. This is just a small outline of how Bitcoins work.
Money has evolved with the times and is a reflection of the progress of man. Early money was a physical commodity, grain, gold or silver. During the vital stage, more symbolic forms of money such as certificates of deposit, bank notes, checks, letters of credit, bonds and other forms of negotiable securities came into prominence. Social development transformed money into a trust, “In God We Trust' it says on the back of the ten-dollar bill.” (The Ascent of Money, 27)
The documentary Banking on Bitcoin from director Chris Cannucciari was a documentary released in 2016. Throughout this documentary Cannucciari asserts that the cryptocurrency Bitcoin is the future. Using Bitcoin experts and enthusiasts, this documentary is working to persuade people that Bitcoins peer to peer non-centralized system is the future and should be used over traditional banking methods. The targeted audience for this documentary is businesses, government officials, and anyone interested in the Bitcoin technology. The tone of this documentary is ardent while also informative.
Bitcoin is a digital currency, similar to cash due to the fact it is instant, however, is not managed or controlled by a central government or organization. Instead, the network is run on thousands of independent user’s computers. None of these computers have more control over the network than any other computer. The network that Bitcoin was founded upon is based on 40 years of research in cryptography and over 20 years of research in cryptocurrencies; by thousands of researches around the world.
BY DOUG HENWOOD What’s being touted in some circles as the future of money looks hardly more peaceful than its past. Bitcoin, a formerly obscure cybercurrency, is now all over the headlines with reports of bankruptcies, thefts and FBI lockdowns. If our fate is to buy and sell bitcoins, this instability is troubling. But despite the headlines, the triumph of Bitcoin and related cyber-currencies is a lot less likely than recent commentary suggests.
The invention of money was a major improvement in peoples’ lives. In the past, people usually had to travel all day to find the person who is willing to exchange their goods. In addition, the goods people want to exchange did not have the standard value of measurement. This led to unequal exchanges. Furthermore, it is not convenient to carry heavy goods from one place to another for an exchange. To solve these issues, money will be the only solution. Later, people tend to develop money from cowry shells to credit cards for the convenience and to improve their society.
One of the constants of currency is that it is constantly changing. Sometimes these changes are for the worse, and sometimes they are for the better. Changes in currency can cause prosperity or famine. Currency is reaching another stage of development due to the introduction of computer technology. Virtual currency has become a possibility for the future, and bitcoin is exploring that new idea. Bitcoin is a virtual currency that has the potential to be the future of currency and comes with both advancements and detriments.
Digital money is undeniably convenient; anyone who has used a credit or debit card understands this. However, the era of digital money is only beginning; rapid technological advances will continue to make paper money a remnant of the past. Several innovations are already lessening the burden in your wallet. For instance, the seemingly innocuous mobile phone is actually playing an increasing role in facilitating monetary transactions, especially in Asia. Already, in Japan, large companies such as Coca-Cola have sanctioned vending machines that are not only compatible with common cell phones but also allow consumers to earn credits for using them (Kupetz). In this regard, the United States is strikingly behind the times when compared to other countries. Another new technology in the vein of mobile phones is no-contact cards. These innovative cards do not require a cashier to conduct a transaction; one simply holds a specia...
...ng an acceptable form of transaction.Governments need to be more transparent to the public.A lot of ‘under table’ transaction take place in the most basic everyday services(passport,license, tax).Such services has the capability to go online reducing the red tape as money is only used via online transaction.
The use of credit and debit cards today are taking a tour in the sense that electronic cash is becoming more admissible as the world makes a switch towar...
To what extent will crypto-currencies affect the worlds economy? Introduction Firstly, an insight into crypto-currencies, what they are and how they can benefit the worlds economy. A crypto-currency is ‘digital medium of exchange’(RhettandLink) - managed through extensive encryption techniques known as cryptography. Comparable with fiat money, no group or individual can stunt, increase or abuse the production of crypto-currencies.
A cashless society will further improve the globalisation that characterise our present time. The computerised systems can be used to decrease the quantity of paper trail therefore substituting paper cash with cashless credits or electronic money transfers. However, in a cashless economy, this will change with certain crimes almost eradicated. It will also be faster to generate electronic payments than cash as Near Field Communications (NFC) chips make their way into more payments cards and mobile handsets as well providing protection not applicable to purchases made using cash. This technology is simple with low power wireless link evolved from radio-frequency identification (RFID) tech that can transfer small amounts of data between two devices identifying us and our bank account to a computer. Another benefit of drawing nearer to a cashless society is that other companies are providing pioneering cash-free solutions to the payment related problems we come across. For example, WisePay, a provider of e-payments services, is deploying technologies that ensure parents no longer have to worry about sending their children to school with cash to pay for meals, excursions and other fees that will eliminate the likelihood of being caught short for cash or children misplacing money. The Government also has valuable explanations why they may deem to turn away from cash. Due the main factor of printing and distributing cash, not to mention ensuring the economy is free from forgeries which are all costly endeavours estimating that the cost to society of using cash is between 0.5 and 1.5% of GDP annually. In addition, there are many technological innovations that propose there is a real enthusiasm for an alternative to cash with the upsurge...