Want't sure where to post, but I'm trying the legal section, as this is not a mention in the press per se.
Source:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CGEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.finanstilsynet.no%2FGlobal%2FVenstremeny%2FRapport%2F2012%2FROS-analyse_2011.pdf&ei=rcYSUIy2BsT74QSH8oHQDA&usg=AFQjCNFf9K7smtO1c6Pmj6UON8Ge0vIQbQ&sig2=IlUJOury63p6DMZBmW5lngThe financial supervisory authority of Norwar released a Risk and Vulnerability analysis in March 2012 regarding the usage of information and communication technology in financial institutions.
Under
2.4.3 titled 'Shadow services on the internet' they wrote the following (translated manually from Norwegian to English):
Translated text:
Bitcoin is a digital curreny made in 2009. The name of the currency also refers to the "open source"-program Bitcoin that's used to send money. The maximum limit for how much Bitcoin can ever exist is 21 millions. It's therefore a static currency once all Bitcoins are distriibuted. Bitcoin is based on person to person technology (P2P), and is operating without any form of a sentralized server or middlemen. All payments are automatically verified through nodes in the P2P-network, and the system is built such that it is impossible to make more money or steal others money. This is ensured through the usage of a 'blockchain' which is stored by all the nodes in the network.
Bitcoins kan for instance be compared to "Monopoly money" where each single actor buys virtual moneyvalues called Bitcoin to do commercial transactions in a gated environment of trade. Liquidity in fiat money must always be available if the trade actors wish to exchange from Bitcoins to for instance US dollars or Euros. At the moment, this system is outside governmental control, and the risk is unknown.
The system is virtual and the american government has signalized that they want to remove this system before naive and gullible users become too involved. For such a system to work, it needs a 'rich' sponsor.
Orginal text:
2.4.3.1 Bitcoin
Bitcoin er en digital valuta opprettet i 2009. Navnet på valutaen refererer også til «open source»-
programmet Bitcoin som brukes for å sende penger. Maksgrensen på antall bitcoins som kan være i
omløp, er satt på 21 millioner. Det er altså en statisk valuta etter at alle bitcoins er delt ut. Bitcoin er
basert på person to person-teknologi (P2P), og opererer uten noen form for sentral server eller
mellommenn. Alle betalinger verifiseres automatisk gjennom noder i P2P-nettverket, og systemet er
bygd opp slik at man ikke kan opprette flere penger eller stjele andres. Dette sikres gjennom en
«blockchain» som lagres av alle nodene i nettverket.
Bitcoin kan gjerne sammenlignes med «Monopolpenger» hvor den enkelte aktør kjøper virtuelle
pengeverdier kalt bitcoin for å gjøre kommersielle transaksjoner i et lukket handelsmiljø. Likviditet i
«reelle» penger må alltid ligge til disposisjon dersom aktørene ønsker å veksle fra bitcoins til for
eksempel US dollar eller euro. Foreløpig foregår denne virksomheten utenfor kontroll av
myndighetene, og risikoen er ukjent.
Systemet er virtuelt og amerikanske myndigheter har signalisert at de ønsker å fjerne dette systemet før
godtroende brukere blir for mye involvert. For at et slikt system skal kunne fungere, må det ha en «rik»
sponsor.
My comments:
Coming from a governmental institution, we could not hope for a positive review, there's no reference where the mention about the us govt. wanting to get rid of bitcoin is written. We already know the US govt. is aware of bitcoin, heck the lead dev. visited the CIA a while ago, and the FBI leaked a memo mentioning bitcoin. So I call FUD on that one.
Still interesting they mentioned Bitcoin.