(or perhaps there are just more Bitcoin enthusiasts around now to balance the tone)
Reported here for completeness.
2012-11-03
http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/11/03/1516231/european-central-bank-casts-wary-eye-toward-bitcoin?utm_source=slashdot&utm_medium=twitter
An anonymous reader writes
"Erik Voorhees blogs for bitinstant.com: 'On Oct 29, 2012, the European Central Bank (ECB) released an official (and very nicely prepared) report called "Virtual Currency Schemes (PDF)." The 55-page report looks at several facets of what virtual currencies are, how they're being used, and what they can do. As it happens, the term "Bitcoin" appears 183 times. In fact, roughly a quarter of the whole report is specifically dedicated to Bitcoin and it's probably a safe assumption that Bitcoin's growth over the past year was the catalyst for producing this study in the first place. The report from the ECB concludes, in part: Virtual currencies fall within central banks' responsibility due to their characteristics, and Virtual currencies could have a "negative impact on the reputation of central banks."' Could this be the first step toward regulation of the digital currency?"