Articles

Vol. 19 No. 4 (2013)

Czym jest Bitcoin?

Arkadiusz Sieroń

Pages: 31 - 51

PDF (Język Polski)

Abstract

What is Bitcoin?

The aim of this paper is to answer the question of what — from an economic point of view — is Bitcoin. For this purpose, we make a literature review, discussing different views on the subject. Using the typology of money developed by Mises, we find that Bitcoin is a private fiat money, without, however, disproving the regression theorem. Based on the analysis, we conclude that the gold, which is a commodity money, would be a better candidate to serve as a global medium of exchange in a free market. Thus, we see the future of Bitcoin in payment system allowing to make low-cost, relatively anonymous and secure transactions, especially the foreign ones.