(U//FOUO) Bitcoin – A decentralized, peer-to-peer (P2P) network-based virtual currency – provides a venue for individuals to generate, transfer, launder, and steal illicit funds with some anonymity. Bitcoin offers many of the same challenges associated with other virtual currencies, such as WebMoney, and adds unique complexities for investigators because of its decentralized nature.

While poking around for Rebels on Facebook I came across this group that is promoting an idea so awesome I had to spread the word. The group is called Rebel Road and they’re hosting a public event they’re calling a Free Market Flash Mob. They invite everyone to bring whatever they have to sell or trade to Balboa Park in San Diego. They boast “No Permission! No Permits! The parks are ours and we have the right to self-sustain by utilizing them how we see fit, when we see fit.”

If all the world’s informal markets were formed into a single independent nation, its $10 trillion economy would be the second-largest on the planet (behind only the US). These markets thrive in places where taxes are low, poverty is high, and resources are scarce. The colors on this map indicate the size of each country’s underground economy, as a percentage of its GDP

A few weeks ago the Royal Canadian Mint rolled out MintChip, a digital currency that is “better than cash.” It isn’t an alternative currency in that it’s a digital representation of the sovereign currency — the Canadian dollar.