James Angel, Professor of Finance at Georgetown University, on Bitcoin popularity and its future prospects
Currently Bitcoin is the world’s fastest growing currency. What are the main features of Bitcoin and why investors’ interest in Bitcoin is increasing?
I agree that Bitcoin is "the world's fastest growing currency". Bitcoin is an attempt to create an electronic currency that is not controlled by a government. It is controlled by a computer standard that allegedly limits the total number of bitcoins that can be created. Right now, bitcoins are created ("mined") by computers that do calculations to verify Bitcoin transactions. Bitcoin has attracted quite a bit of interest from four distinct groups:
1) "The end-is-near" types, who fear financial doomsday, view Bitcoin as a potential inflation-free haven similar to an electronic gold standard.
2) Cyber-libertarians, who see the near anonymity and lack of government oversight as an attraction.
3) Operators in the underground economy such as the infamous Silk Road web site, who perceive Bitcoin as a payment system for drug purchases, money laundering, etc.
4) Entrepreneurs, who want to cash in the fad. Indeed, given that the total number of bitcoins will allegedly be fixed, the total growth will soon be zero.
Bitcoin is traded online without any kind of central bank or institutional supervision, thus making the currency attractive to drug dealers, terrorists. Do you see that further Bitcoin trading might be restricted or even prohibited to prevent tax fraud, money laundering, and other illegal activities?
Governments will do everything in their power to crack down on money laundering and tax fraud. This means that in order for Bitcoin to be anything other than an underground service on the run from the authorities, the institutions that operate in the Bitcoin realm will have to be regulated just like other financial institutions. There are very good reasons why we regulate financial institutions to protect the public from fraud and to protect the economy from financial meltdowns. Governments will expect payment processors in the Bitcoin realm to be regulated just as they are for other currencies.
Currently Bitcoin is the world’s fastest growing currency. What are the main features of Bitcoin and why investors’ interest in Bitcoin is increasing?
I agree that Bitcoin is "the world's fastest growing currency". Bitcoin is an attempt to create an electronic currency that is not controlled by a government. It is controlled by a computer standard that allegedly limits the total number of bitcoins that can be created. Right now, bitcoins are created ("mined") by computers that do calculations to verify Bitcoin transactions. Bitcoin has attracted quite a bit of interest from four distinct groups:
1) "The end-is-near" types, who fear financial doomsday, view Bitcoin as a potential inflation-free haven similar to an electronic gold standard.
2) Cyber-libertarians, who see the near anonymity and lack of government oversight as an attraction.
3) Operators in the underground economy such as the infamous Silk Road web site, who perceive Bitcoin as a payment system for drug purchases, money laundering, etc.
4) Entrepreneurs, who want to cash in the fad. Indeed, given that the total number of bitcoins will allegedly be fixed, the total growth will soon be zero.
Bitcoin is traded online without any kind of central bank or institutional supervision, thus making the currency attractive to drug dealers, terrorists. Do you see that further Bitcoin trading might be restricted or even prohibited to prevent tax fraud, money laundering, and other illegal activities?
Governments will do everything in their power to crack down on money laundering and tax fraud. This means that in order for Bitcoin to be anything other than an underground service on the run from the authorities, the institutions that operate in the Bitcoin realm will have to be regulated just like other financial institutions. There are very good reasons why we regulate financial institutions to protect the public from fraud and to protect the economy from financial meltdowns. Governments will expect payment processors in the Bitcoin realm to be regulated just as they are for other currencies.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD declines below 1.0700 as USD recovery continues
EUR/USD lost its traction and declined below 1.0700 after spending the first half of the day in a tight channel. The US Dollar extends its recovery following the strong Unit Labor Costs data and weighs on the pair ahead of Friday's jobs report.
GBP/USD struggles to hold above 1.2500
GBP/USD turned south and dropped below 1.2500 in the American session on Thursday. The US Dollar continues to push higher following the Fed-inspired decline on Wednesday and doesn't allow the pair to regain its traction.
Japanese Yen trims some intraday losses as BoJ data supports Japan's intervention
The Japanese Yen rallied on Wednesday amid speculations of another intervention by authorities. The momentum, however, runs out of steam on the back of the divergent BoJ-Fed policy outlooks. Traders now look to the second-tier US data for some impetus ahead of the NFP report on Friday.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD declines below 1.0700 as USD recovery continues
EUR/USD lost its traction and declined below 1.0700 after spending the first half of the day in a tight channel. The US Dollar extends its recovery following the strong Unit Labor Costs data and weighs on the pair ahead of Friday's jobs report.
GBP/USD struggles to hold above 1.2500
GBP/USD turned south and dropped below 1.2500 in the American session on Thursday. The US Dollar continues to push higher following the Fed-inspired decline on Wednesday and doesn't allow the pair to regain its traction.
Gold stuck around $2,300 as market players lack directional conviction
Gold extended its daily slide and dropped below $2,290 in the second half of the day on Thursday. The benchmark 10-year US Treasury bond yield erased its daily losses after US data, causing XAU/USD to stretch lower ahead of Friday's US jobs data.
Top 3 Price Prediction BTC, ETH, XRP: Altcoins to pump once BTC bottoms out, slow grind up for now
Bitcoin reclaiming above $59,200 would hint that BTC has already bottomed out, setting the tone for a run north. Ethereum holding above $2,900 keeps a bullish reversal pattern viable despite falling momentum. Ripple coils up for a move north as XRP bulls defend $0.5000.
Happy Apple day
Apple is due to report Q1 results today after the bell. Expectations are soft given that Apple’s Chinese business got a major hit in Q1 as competitors increased their market share against the giant Apple.
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