Bitcoin: P2P Currency Launched, Governments Around the World Shit Pants

Aw hellz yeah!

I've mentioned the Bitcoin project before, referencing it as being a possible solution to a lot of the problems surrounding money. Basically it's a peer-to-peer currency that's untracable and ultimately anonymous. Right off the bat you're pretty much going to be able to order drugs from sites like the Silk Road Market. Honestly, I'm not sure if that's the best use for the time being considering your package of Purple Kush may have to go through customs if you're not in the Silk Road's country.

But that's just one small aspect of this.

Bitcoins can be transfered as payment from online companies or just the Chinese gold farmer who got you that epic set on WoW. There are already companies out there that are accepting Bitcoins as payment (check it) and I'm sure as the currency grows, more and more companies will switch to the currency.

At least, that's before world governments start getting pissed about the fact there's a global currency which they can't tax. They'll also be pissed about the fact that there's no central issuing authority they can prosecute or buy out for Bitcoins. It's all based on algorithims which produce the Bitcoins on a rate of how many users are on the network which is all explained better on the BitcoinFAQ.

Really, Bitcoins work under the same supply and demand principle and basic stuff you'd find in any Economics 101 class, but this is the first time in the course of human history where we have a true global currency. Whether it will become accepted is highly doubtful. It'll probably end up becoming the currency on various darknets and the seedy underbellies of teh intarwebz (I'm looking at you 4chan).

I don't mind though. It's cyberpunk as fuck.

THE CAKE IS A LIE AND THE MATRIX HAS YOU

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DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER UNTIL YOU READ THIS ARTICLE

(it's short, I promise)

Okay, we good?

Good.

I fucking love these theories. I don't believe them, but they make great inspiration for writing cyberpunk. I do have beef with the people who're like "WE DUN HAS COMPUTARZ DAT CAN DO DAT", because that's instantly assuming that the "mods" running the simulation we live in are at the same technological capacity as we are. That's [i]highly[/i] unlikely. I saw an interview with the guy mentioned in the article and he flat out said that if his theory is correct, we're probably living in a simulation of the past.


The "mods" of this world would probably be an advanced form of human life or AI or aliens or whatever. I'm inclined to go with the advanced form of human life. What the article points out interestingly enough is the whole idea of NPC's. For all we know, we could all be NPCs and the elite of this world are the PC's. Obama could just be some really high level character who's actually just some fat dude jacked into a simulation chair in the real future who still lives with his mom. But at least he's top ranking on the 21st Century American Server. Likewise, Osama Bin Laden was probably the 1337est player in the 21st Century Middle East server until Obama went all LFG on his ass and raided the shit out of his compound.

The sever idea also makes this idea even more interesting for me. When we dream, we could be going into parallel dimensions like others I know have mentioned. However, those parallel dimensions could just be different servers in some giant simulation. The simulation glitches and some NPCs end up on a server they shouldn't be.

Interesting stuff when you think about it. Just don't think about it too much.

That way lies madness.