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Bitcoin has gained in popularity in recent months, especially after the United States Senate held its first hearing on virtual currencies this November.  It also comes days after the Bitcoin Black Friday when prices of Bitcoin doubled. Bitcoin is still very volatile, but it is gaining credibility with major retailers such as Target and Dell accepting Bitcoin payment. However, skeptics are concerned that Bitcoins are being used for illegal purposes by people laundering money or buying drugs online through sites like Silk Road.

Bitcoin uses peer-to-peer technology to operate with no central authority or banks; managing transactions and the issuing of bitcoins is carried out collectively by the network. Bitcoin is open-source; its design is public; nobody owns or controls Bitcoin and everyone can take part. Bitcoin is also the most widely used open-source. Bitcoin is changing finance the same way Linux changed ICT. You can check Quantum AI app.

 Self-regulated

The Bitcoin economy is self-regulated; it cannot be corrupted by reckless central banks and it does not rely on external funds for growth or to operate. Bitcoin's inflation rate gradually decreases over time until Bitcoin achieves a steady state; while Bitcoin remains fairly stable, government-issued currencies are subject to inflation and market fluctuations. 

Moreover, Bitcoin has no control over how people choose to use their bitcoins; unlike money issued by governments which claim that currency must be accepted for all debts public and private, there are no such requirements with Bitcoin. Although its volatility may pose problems for merchants accepting payment in Bitcoins, it may also help them against fraud as Bitcoin transactions cannot be reversed unlike a credit card or PayPal transactions. Bitcoin's growing popularity has made it a target for speculative investment, but the Bitcoin economy is diverse and no one group controls Bitcoin.

Popular uses for Bitcoin

Some of the most popular uses for Bitcoin are: transfer money overseas; micropayments; international payments; and mobile payments. Transferring Bitcoins from one person to another is as simple as sending an email and Bitcoin transaction fees are minimal compared with those imposed by banks and other payment providers such as PayPal. Furthermore, paying with Bitcoin is not tied to any personal information; every transaction is only associated with an address that can be generated ad-hoc when needed making Bitcoin transactions difficult to trace. 

Micropayments refer to small amounts of money charged for a product or service. Bitcoin allows online publishers, content creators, and bloggers to charge readers a small fee to access their content instead of relying on advertising revenue which can be volatile. Bitcoin is popular among advertisers because its transactions are irreversible; meaning once Bitcoin has been sent no one can get it back unless the recipient returns it voluntarily resulting in lower transaction costs for merchants who will not have to cover credit card chargeback fees. Bitcoin also makes international payments easier by eliminating currency exchange rate fees- Bitcoin operates in any country without being tied to a specific currency making it less susceptible to government manipulation or interference. 

Lastly, Bitcoin mobile payments are growing rapidly- Bitcoins can be transferred from person to person via mobile devices using simple apps even if they don't have any Bitcoin. Mobile Bitcoin payments could become the norm for shoppers wanting to purchase goods and services on their smartphone tablet, or other devices. Bitcoin transactions are expected to surpass $1 billion in 2014 which should increase merchant adoption making Bitcoin an even more popular option for consumers.

 Still Developing

The Bitcoin economy is still developing; however, it remains unclear how governments will react to Bitcoin because it poses a significant challenge to the current banking system and regulation practices. The Bitcoin Foundation was established in 2012 to standardize the use of Bitcoins and lobby governments around the world for digital finance freedom.

 Although Bitcoin has come under scrutiny by several countries' financial regulators, supporters of Bitcoin remain hopeful that decentralized currencies like Bitcoin can revolutionize finance by challenging governments and eliminating central bank control over interest rates, money supply inflation, and other aspects of the economy. Bitcoin has many advantages over government-issued currency including security, lower costs, acceptance worldwide, no run-away inflation, scarcity, pseudo-anonymity, and freedom from taxation but Bitcoin is still an experiment in progress with both promise and uncertainty. 

Bitcoin has vast potential to transform global finance by improving security transparency, reducing transaction costs making it accessible to even the unbanked population of the world which are ignored by traditional financial institutions because they are considered too high risk for lending. Bitcoin could be a useful tool for developing countries' economies that cannot rely on foreign aid or costly development projects.