The single biggest hurdle a cryptocurrency is seeking to overcome is to penetrate into the real-world markets. Almost any cryptocurrency aims to become a sound form of money that is used for everyday purchases by ordinary folk. This is known as becoming a mainstream currency. This is a very tall order and even the largest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, has a mammoth journey ahead of it in becoming a currency that is used the world over on a daily basis.
Despite the continued push in many countries for more government oversight and new legislation aimed at reducing ATM fees, just what costs do we really face when we need to get some quick cash? With very little effort those costs can be... uh... zero!
Marco Streng is a miner, though he does not carry a pick around his base in south-western Iceland. Instead, he keeps tens of thousands of computers running 24 hours a day in fierce competition with others across the globe to earn bitcoins. In the world of the web-based digital currency, it is not central banks that add new money to the system, but rather computers like Streng's which are awarded fresh bitcoins in return for processing blocks of the latest bitcoin transactions.
As we move towards transacting without cash and cards, what are the implications for tech-enabled disruptors, as well as incumbents with a vested interest - like banks and card issuers?
