Virtual money, virtual currency

 

Definitions[edit]

In 2012, the European Central Bank defined it as "a type of unregulated, digital money, which is issued and usually controlled by its developers, and used and accepted among the members of a specific virtual community".^[1]:13

In 2013, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, a bureau of the US Treasury, defined it as "a medium of exchange that operates like a currency in some environments, but does not have all the attributes of real currency".^[2]

In 2014, the European Banking Authority defined it as "a digital representation of value that is neither issued by a central bank or a public authority, nor necessarily attached to a fiat currency, but is accepted by natural or legal persons as a means of payment and can be transferred, stored or traded electronically".^[3]

History of the term[edit]

In his written testimony to the 2013 congressional hearing on virtual currencies Ben Bernanke stated "virtual currencies have been viewed as a form of “electronic money” or area of payment system technology that has been evolving over the past 20 years", in reference to a congressional hearing on the Future of Money before the Committee on Banking and Financial Services on 11 October 1995.^[4] The term 'virtual currency' appears to have been coined around 2009, paralleling the development of digital currencies and social gaming.^[5]

Although the correct classification is 'digital currency', US government institutions have preferred and uniformly adopted the term 'virtual currency', first the US Treasury's FinCEN, then the FBI in 2012,^[6] the General Accounting Office in its 2013 report^[7] and other government agencies testifying at the November 2013 Senate Hearing about Bitcoin like the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Office of the Attorney General.^[8]

Limits on being currency[edit]

Attributes of a real currency, as defined in 2011 in the Code of Federal Regulations, such as real paper money and real coins are simply that they act as legal tender and circulate "customarily".^[9]

The IRS decided in March 2014, to treat Bitcoin and other virtual currencies as property for tax purposes, not currency.^[10][11] Some have suggested that this makes bitcoins not fungible - that is one bitcoin is not identical to another bitcoin, unlike one gallon of crude oil being identical to another gallon of crude oil - making bitcoin unworkable as a currency.^[12] Others have stated that a measure like accounting on average cost basis would restore fungibility to the currency.^[12]

Categorization by currency flow[edit]

Closed virtual currencies[edit]

Virtual currencies have been called "closed", when they have no connection to the real economy, like currencies "in-online -games-only" such as World of Warcraft (WoW). While there may be a black market for exchanging WoW Gold against real world assets, it is expressedly forbidden by the owner of WoW.

Virtual currencies with currency flow into one direction[edit]

This type of currency has been known for a long time in the form of customer incentive programs or loyalty programs. The first known coupon in history is probably from the US, attributed to Asa Candler, inventor of Coca-Cola and the free drink coupons in 1887, followed by C. W. Post's one-cent-off coupon in breakfast cereal boxes in 1895, both to drive sales. The business issuing the coupon functions as a central authority.^[13] Coupons remained unchanged for 100 years until new technology enabling credit cards became more common in the 1980s, and credit card rewards were invented. The latest incarnation drives the increase of internet commerce, online services, development of online communities and games. Here virtual or game currency can be bought, but not exchanged back into real money. The virtual currency is akin to a coupon. Examples are frequent flyer programs by various airlines, Microsoft Points, Nintendo Points, Facebook Credits, Ven (currency)^{[dubious – discuss]} and Amazon Coin.

Convertible virtual currencies[edit]

A virtual currency that can be bought with and sold back for legal tender is called a convertible currency. Often centralized as Linden Dollars, the online virtual currency of Second Life.

Centralized versus decentralized virtual currencies[edit]

FinCEN defined centralized virtual currencies in 2013 as virtual currencies that have a "centralized repository", similar to a central bank, and a "central administrator".

A decentralized currency was defined by the US Department of Treasury as a "currency (1) that has no central repository and no single administrator, and (2) that persons may obtain by their own computing or manufacturing effort".^[2] Rather than relying on confidence in a central authority, it depends instead on a distributed system of trust.^[14]

The money matrix[edit]

Digital currency is a particular form of currency that is electronically transferred and stored, i.e., distinct from physical currency, such as coins or banknotes. According to the European Central Bank, virtual currencies are "generally digital", although their enduring precursor, the coupon for example, is physical.^[1]

A cryptocurrency is a digital currency using cryptography to secure transactions and to control the creation of new currency units.^[15] Since not all virtual currencies use cryptography, not all virtual currencies are cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies are generally not legal tender, with a possible future (As of 2014^[update]) exception of a government run cryptocurrency to be created in Ecuador.^[16]

The money matrix adapted from[1]			Money format
			Physical	Digital
				Not based on cryptography	Cryptocurrency
Legal status	Unregulated			Virtual
		Centralized	Coupon	Internet coupon
				Mobile coupon
			Local currencies	Linden Dollar
				Ven (currency)
				Other centralized virtual currencies
		Decentralized	N/A	N/A	Bitcoin
					Other decentralized cryptocurrencies
				currency
	Regulated		Banknotes and coins	E-money
				Commercial bank money (deposits)