There are some other digital currencies out there that deserve some attention.

The world's leading Bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox, has announced a partnership with the Silicon Valley startup Coinlab. Under the agreement, Coinlab will handle Mt. Gox's American operations, which account for a large majority of the exchange's business. The transition will occur on March 22. CoinLab raised half a million dollars of venture capital last year. At the time, the firm was touting a scheme to exchange bitcoins for currency in games such as World of Warcraft and Second Life. Taking over Mt.

An increase in the value of bitcoin, the world’s largest online currency, may fuel concerns that virtual money could undermine the role of central banks.

Dwolla Begins PayPal-Style Account Suspensions - "Dwolla has moved beyond closing the accounts of those it can prove are operating unlicensed [Bitcoin] exchanges and has begun closing the accounts of private individuals based on a mere affiliation."

In Dec 2012 a European bitcoin exchange said it had been granted "payments service provider status" by French government officials. (Meaning French government considered the exchange to be like Paypal.) If other companies that trade in BTC seek to be legitimized by governments, it could undermine one of the basic things that defines BTC -- that it works best outside the "white market" sector.