LONDON (Reuters) – So bitcoin’s a currency, right? Well, yes, it can be used to buy, sell and price goods much like dollars and euros.
FILE PHOTO: Representations of virtual currency Bitcoin and U.S. dollar banknotes are seen in this picture illustration taken January 27, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic
A commodity? Come to think of it, it does behave a lot like oil and gold – it can be bought and sold in cash markets or via derivatives such as futures.
What about a security? Many cryptocurrencies are, in a way. They’re issued like stocks in “initial coin offerings” and used to represent shares in online projects.
The debate may appear abstract, with little bearing on the hard-boiled world of finance, but it is attracting increasing interest from economists and lawyers who say it could have major implications for the future of cryptocurrencies.
How bitcoin and other digital coins are defined could shape how they are regulated around the world. In turn, the rules they are subject…
Source Reuters Tech News
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