FBI Fears Bitcoin's Popularity with Criminals | Threat Level

@jaspergregory I don't imagine governments will tolerate it becoming TOO popular.

A 3-D model of a bitcoin - not an actual bitcoin, which is purely digital. Photo: Trader Tim /Flickr The FBI sees the anonymous Bitcoin payment network as an alarming haven for money laundering and other criminal activity — including as a tool for hackers to rip off fellow Bitcoin users. That’s according to a new FBI internal report that leaked to the internet this week, which expresses concern about the difficulty of tracking the identify of anonymous Bitcoin users, while also unintentionally providing tips for Bitcoin users to remain more anonymous. The report titled “Bitcoin Virtual Currency: Unique Features Present Distinct Challenges for Deterring Illicit Activity,” (.pdf) was published April 24 and is marked For Official Use Only (not actually classified), but was leaked to the internet on Wednesday. In the document, the FBI notes that because Bitcoin combines crypto...

Full article: http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/05/fbi-fears-bitcoi...