It's actually backed by computer power, as the "printing" or mining is tied to the solving of algorithms. Bitcoin went down when the silk road market was closed, but has except for that gone predominantly way up. As you say, it's extremely volatile, seeing how it's kind of a fad at the time being, so it's not a great place to put your money as of yet.

It's not necessarily a great place to put your money, but it's not really a Ponzi-scheme either.

In regards to the article, I think they could have explored the subject better.

Whilst I don't agree with all aspects of Bitcoin, the vitriol in your comments did amuse me.

I think you may want to do a little more research before claiming it's a Ponzi scheme fronted by an 'anonymous asian'; or that that the currency is crashing. There have been some massive fluctuations, true, but stability is going to take a long time.

I'm sure the people who lost their homes in the aftermath of the 2008 banking crisis are also wondering what traditional currency is backed by! Hope? Digits? Lets not forget that entire countries went bankrupt and we are all still feeling the fallout of what happens when you trust people with traditional currencies. - In other words the house of cards that makes up the bank bone of our existing currencies and financial systems is no more stable than that of Bitcoin.

I agree that Governments (not currencies or banksters - whatever they are) will likely make it hard for Bitcoin to establish itself. But that will be done through squeezing it using existing and new banking legislation - and they will have to go after the exchanges, not the currency itself - and that will very hard and probably require a lot of the merchants who accept Bitcoins to play along.

The stock mark is what makes Microsoft remarkable, They have convinced every institutional and retail investor to just keep piling money into them. Like many big tech giants they are just a big growing pyramid scheme. As long as people keep dropping money into ETF's that cover the market Microsoft will always be liquid. At the same time it is completely stifling innovation and competition. People need to start being more discreet in how they invest their money as it's killing the system.

Riiiiight because people will just flock back to them for one or two games per year.

15+ years of bad performance is what they call irreparable in business. It is time for them to sell off the assets and get out of entertainment.

Let me be clear. This is sarcasm