[PreciousLiberty]

"No. Probably being done by the Chinese government, who realized Bitcoin was being used by Chinese nationals to expatriate capital against their laws."

Some of the biggest BTC exchanges are in China, and the Chinese are still active traders.

According to Chinese officials, bitcoin has “no legal status or monetary equivalent” and financial institutions shouldn’t treat it as legal tender, however it can be traded as a commodity on the internet.

and

Following the collapse of Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox, Japanese regulators are laying down the law -- and considering treating the digital currency in the same manner as gold.

Treating BTC as a commodity is the exact correct approach. If you have gold in a bank's security deposit box, don't hold your breath waiting for a refund if it's stolen.

[Rio]

This is why I keep mine in a jar buried in the backyard.

[grania]

I would not trust that gold "in safe keeping" for me, or in a mutual fund, or that I have a certificate of ownership for is really gold that I have.

If I were to sell my shares of gold, wouldn't I get dollars, not actual gold? Would I be allowed to get gold if I cashed out?

As far as the bank security box, I hadn't thought about that. I would assume that one could take it out, but if it's stolen, what proof would you have that it was in there to begin with?

This bitcoin thing never won me over. If it's not something you can physically possess, it's a matter of faith that you actually own it. Or in this case, that it actually exists.