Bitcoin not real money according to judge

You can save it, you can buy things with it, you can watch its value fluctuate, but according to a Miami court judge, "bitcoin has a long way to go before it is equivalent of money."

Judge Teresa Mary Pooler ruled yesterday that defendant Michael Espinoza, who was charged with laundering bitcoins, was not guilty, and then declared that bitcoin isn't money. According to The Guardian:

Defendant Michel Espinoza was on trial for illegally transmitting and laundering $1,500 worth of bitcoins to undercover agents who intended to use them to purchase stolen credit cards.

His attorney argued that the charges should be dismissed because, under Florida state law, the cyber-currency could not be considered money. After extended deliberation, Judge Teresa Mary Pooler agreed in a ruling issued on Monday.

Read the full story here.

Image: btckeychain/Flickr