Movies like The Fifth Element, Terminator, The Matrix and other dystopian futures are highly descriptive in their depiction of the setting, but always seem to leave out one important detail, the currency of the future. They never seem to take into consideration the possible change in the way the currency works and is traded. So, how will our money work in the future? It will be encoded on the electronic tattoos on our arms, it will remain in paper form as it is now or it will become digital. In 2008 one or more anonymous users named Satoshi Nakamoto posted an idea for an electronic money system on the Internet. After a year this idea was born; Bitcoin. Bitcoin is open source - the code is accessible for viewing - and every transaction and deposit is visible for viewing just like in a bank. But unlike a bank, everyone on the Bitcoin network has access to see that transaction or deposit, so nothing is a secret. If someone wants to check who gave someone else fifty Bitcoins, they can do so. In Bitcoin you are always in contact with complete strangers, so you don't have to trust anyone, but the system is designed so that there is no trust involved as mathematical functions protect every aspect of the program. How can I acquire these Bitcoins? It's probably the first question on your mind. Bitcoins can be obtained in two different ways. One way is to turn real money into Bitcoin at whatever the current exchange rate is. So I can take $1,000 and if the current exchange rate is $500 for one Bitcoin, then I can get 2 Bitcoins. The other way is to mine Bitcoin. Bitcoin mining involves using special computer programs to solve math problems and as a result the user earns a proportional amount of bitcoins. The Bitcoin program... middle of the paper... has been running, rising slowly, falling sharply, and recently rising exponentially. If Bitcoin could get its act together and start providing a more secure and reassured system for the user, then it could thrive. However, if Bitcoin turns out to be a major global scam, it may be wise to withdraw all your money now and it is better to be safe than sorry. Whether you trust Bitcoin or not, it is still an important advancement in the field of online currency and will most likely lead to the creation of more stable digital currencies. On April 23, 2011, Satoshi Nakamoto, the alleged creator of Bitcoin, sent an email to his software developers that: “I have moved on to other things. He's in good hands with Gavin and everyone else." If he thought about a foundation for a completely original digital currency system, what does he have in mind next? Works Cited Los Angeles Times, youtube