Meet miners, outlaws and sheriffs all striving to get ahead in the volatile new world of virtual money
THE past year has seen a 21st century gold rush, and speculators have been falling over themselves for a piece of the action. The discovery of gold always brings a world in its wake and bitcoin – a virtual currency "mined" using a computer – is no exception.
There are miners chasing gold, crooks targeting the naive, black market traders operating outside the law and regulators trying to bring order to an upstart community.
Read on to meet some of the movers and shakers in this brave new world.
In late 2013, bitcoin miner Dave Carlson feared for the safety of his business. His 5000 square metre warehouse in Wenatchee, Washington, was packed with as much high-tech computing equipment as he could source ...
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