Bitcoin survival guide

Wired on the future of money.

Bitcoin is much more than a money service for illegal operations. It's a re-imagining of international finance, something that breaks down barriers between countries and frees currency from the control of federal governments. Bitcoin is controlled by open source software that operates according to the laws of mathematics — and by the people who collectively oversee this software. The software runs on thousands of machines across the globe, but it can be changed. It's just that a majority of those overseeing the software must agree to the change. In short, Bitcoin is kind of like the internet, but for money.