Feb.6 2014
二月六日
The first public Bitcoin retailer, Bitcoin Shop
Inc., that was named after Bitcoin was founded.
首個以比特幣命名的比特幣零售商成立。
Feb.11 2014
二月十一日
The share of Bicoin Shop Inc. worth USD 3.40 a share.
比特幣零售商Bicoin Shop Inc. 每股價值為3.40美元。
Bitcoin
Timeline
比特幣
時間線
1
A virtual medical procedure that help surgeons work
on tiny surgical procedures on a larger scale. For more
information, see
docs/UKMITAT.html
2
It’s important to discern between “Bitcoin” and
“bitcoin.” Bitcoin with a capitalized “B” refers to the
entire system and is used in the same way as words like
Spanish, Science, and Solar System. “bitcoins” refers to
the actual virtual currency used in exchange.
3
0.0001BTC is the lowest transaction fee.
4
For more information, see
/
news/hong-kong/article/1448009/three-companies-
set-launch-bitcoin-atms-hong-kong-within-days.
5
Economists have yet to acknowledge bitcoin as
currency despite the fact that it portrays attributes of
an economist’s definition a currency.
9
Is bitcoin here to stay? High risks and fluctuation
are associated with Bitcoin. Many have lost money
exploring it, making it more of a risk than a trend.
However, more and more startups as well as online
retail stores are beginning to accept bitcoins as
payment. In fact, bitcoin ATM machines have been
installed in Vancouver, New York and even here in
Hong Kong since October 2013. While there are
various unknowns related to bitcoins’ value and
stability as a reliable form of currency and even
more legalistic issues that require exploration, virtual
currency is riding on the 21st century technological
bloom. Bitcoinmaybeaprototypewithanenormous
untapped potential.
虛擬貨幣這一概念誕生於
2 0 0 8
年的一篇公開論文
Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System
。或許
是出於對
2008
金融危機的反響，論文提出替代的數碼交易模
式，交易方不須經過任何金融機構安排付款。
比特幣以數學為基礎，電腦解破複雜的演算法，每找到
一個答案，就可以通過一種叫做「貨幣挖礦」的程式，得到１
枚比特幣，每
10
分鐘約可產生
50
枚貨幣。非集中化的比特幣
系統經過設定，到
2140
年為止，只能採集到共
2,100
萬枚比
特幣，所以供應有限。未發現的答案數目正在減少，難度逐漸
提高，電腦系統亦要更強。有人比擬，要找到一個答案，就跟
在地球上所有的沙粒中尋找一顆沙粒同樣困難
(Ken Shirriff,
-
hard-way-algorithms.html)
。比特幣如同一般商品，價值
與市場的供應需求密切相關。市場需求高，比特幣的價值就跟
著上漲。比特幣在
2014
年
6
月一度上漲到每幣
637
美元。
以比特幣進行的交易透明度高，保持中性。比特幣系統的
所有交易都記錄在一本數碼總帳中，可以實時驗證核對帳目。
比特幣的交易中無須透露個人資訊。（匿名交易可以是把雙刃
劍，是好是壞視乎交易目的。）
比特幣簡單易用。用戶只需在網上連線，通過比特幣的礦
工程式或以現金購買，取得比特幣，再找到另一名願意以比特
幣交易的使用者，就能夠進行交易。交易過程與現有的網上支
付相似。比特幣用戶指定繳付數額，然後將數額轉入收款人的
名下就完成交易。因為比特幣交易無需任何金融機構經手，所
以交易成本比
Paypal
網上支付平台要來得低。
比特幣能否持續呢？投資比特幣的風險極高，價格波動也
頗大，許多前期投資者蒙受損失，使大眾普遍認為比特幣是風
險投資而非新趨勢。即使如此，許多新公司和零售行業都已
開始接受比特幣交易。另外，自
2013
年
10
月起，比特幣提款機
分別在溫哥華、紐約及香港陸續出現。沒錯，比特幣的價值和
穩定性以及相關的法律問題，還有許多尚未明確之處。但隨著
21
世紀的科技飛躍，虛擬貨幣乘勢而起。比特幣作為原型，可
能尚有巨大的潛能有待挖掘。
References
[1] Nakamoto, S. (2008) A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System.
Retrieved from
Further Reading
-
overview
