比特币之谜 炒家：比特币就是期货

　　“4月开始，国内玩比特币的人暴增，大都是为投资赚快钱”

"As of April, the number of people playing bitcoin in the country rose, mostly to make quick money for investment."

　　未来的货币？炒家杨硕对比特币的种种概念毫不在意。“比特币是天才的设计也好，是无政府主义货币也好，跟我一点关系都没有。对我来说，比特币就是期货，除此之外都是浮云。”

Money of the future? The concepts of scuffling Yang Shirtcoin have nothing to do with it. "Bitcoin is a genius design, anarchist currency, and I have nothing to do with it. To me, Bitcoin is a future, but it's a cloud."

　　在杨硕看来，比特币的最大价值就在于投机，在于其疯狂增值的可能性。“2009年、2010年的时候，1美元能换1000多个比特币，现在1比特币能换100多美元。这样的涨幅足以吸引任何一个投资者。”

In Yang's view, the best value for bitcoins is speculation and the possibility of their crazy value-added. “In 2009, 2010, $1 was worth more than 1,000 bitcoins, and now 1 bitcoins is worth more than 100 dollars. This increase is enough to attract any single investor.”

　　杨硕今年初接触比特币，3月份加入投资大军，而他最后悔的就是没有更早一点入市。“我现在加了七八个群，每天都跟人分析比特币走势。”杨硕告诉记者，从4月开始，国内玩比特币的人暴增，大部分都是为投资赚快钱，“有些大户出手就是百万级别，一天就能赚几万”，而手里有比特币的人都认为还会涨。“只要还看涨，那就有的玩儿。”

Yang was in touch with Bitcoin at the beginning of the year and joined the investment army in March, the last thing he regretted was that he did not enter the market earlier. “I've added seven or eight groups, analysing the movement of bitcoin every day.” Yang has told reporters that since April, there has been a surge in domestic Bitcoin, mostly to make quick money for investment, and that “some big money is in the millionth grade, making tens of thousands a day”, and those with bitcoin think it's going to rise.

　　据杨硕回忆，今年年初，一个比特币兑换人民币100元至200元，3月开始比特币身价飙升，两起两落，从1550元高位，急走而下至432元，反弹后曾回到918元，现在又暴跌回688元左右。“大涨的时候赚了不少，大跌的时候也吃了点亏，总的来说还是赚钱了。”

Yang Suh recalled that, at the beginning of this year, a bitcoin was exchanged for RMB 100 to RMB 200, and that in March the price of the bitcoin began to soar, with two drops, from a high of RMB 1550 to a high of RMB 432, and returned back to $918 after the rebound, and now falls back to about $688. “A lot of money was made at the time of the boom, a bit of money was lost at the time of the fall, and, in general, a lot of money was made.”

　　如今，杨硕每天经手的比特币价值过万，为了紧盯行情，甚至不得不缩短睡眠时间。“比特币没有涨跌限制，交易24小时开放。由于筹码较少，比特币价格易受庄家控制，一时松懈就是巨大的损失！”杨硕告诉记者，比特币最吸引人的地方就在于大涨大跌的刺激，“一觉醒来，你的钱可能多了一倍，也可能少了一半，就是这么疯狂！”

Today, Yang's daily bitcoin is worth thousands of dollars, and in order to keep an eye on it, he has to shorten his sleep. “Bitco's not going up and down, the deal is open 24 hours a day. With fewer chips, bitcoin prices are easily controlled by the dealer, a lax moment is a huge loss.” Yang's reporter told him that Bitcoin's most attractive was the stimuli of a big up and down, and that, “As soon as you wake up, your money could be twice as much or half less, that's how crazy it is.”

　　“矿工”：比特币越来越难“挖”

“miners”: Bitcoin is becoming more and more difficult to “draw”

　　“24小时工作，一两个月才能挖到一个比特币”

"A 24-hour job, one or two months to dig up a bitcoin."

　　有人着迷于大涨大跌的刺激，有人则完全是因为“好玩”。

Some are fascinated by the stimuli of booms and drops, while others are simply for “fun” reasons.

　　2009年，一位网名为“中本聪”的研究者首先提出了“比特币”的概念，这一概念描述了一种通过加密算法产生、通过网络流转的、不受管理的“自由货币”。想要获得比特币，只需要让计算机运行特定的软件。软件进行大量计算的过程有如在深山中寻矿，“比特币矿工”一词应运而生。

In 2009, a web-based researcher called “Middle-Hear” first proposed the concept of “bitcoin”, which describes an unmanaged “free currency” generated through encryption algorithms, flowing through the network. In order to get bitcoin, only computers are required to run specific software. The software is heavily calculated, for example, by searching for minerals in deep mountains, and the term “bitcoin miners” is born.

　　2012年，阿萧（网名）出于偶然知道了比特币的存在，这个计算机系毕业的“极客”当时就被深深地吸引了。“听说开着计算机运行程序就能挖到钱，当时觉得这太好玩了！”

In 2012, Ashau discovered the existence of Bitcoin by chance, and this computer, the graduate of the “extreme” group, was drawn to it. “Heard it was a computer running program that would get the money, and it was so fun!”

　　由于运算数量过于庞大，一般的电脑无法满足“挖矿”的需求，2012年7月，阿萧花了两个月的工资，给自己电脑加装了四块显卡，从此开始了“矿工”的生涯。

Because the amount of computing is too large for the general computer to be able to meet the “mining” needs, Shaw began his career as a “mineer” in July 2012, after spending two months' salary on his own computer with four visible cards.

　　“挖矿其实很简单，主要就是通过电脑显卡进行计算。安装一个比特币官方客户端，注册一个个人钱包，下载一个挖矿程序，就可以开始矿工的生活了。”不过，由于程序的限制，如今比特币的挖掘已经越来越难，即便使用价值数万元的矿机，收益也很有限。目前，阿萧的矿机24小时工作，但也要一两个月才能挖到一个比特币。

"Drawing is really easy, mostly by computer graphics. Installing an official Bitcoin client, registering a personal wallet, downloading a mining program, can start a miner's life." But, due to procedural constraints, bitcoin mining is now becoming more difficult, and even using tens of thousands of dollars worth of miners, the returns are limited.

　　挖到的比特币挂到网站上就可以出售，也可以存起来等待价格上涨。为了更高效率地挖掘比特币，甚至有人利用病毒构建“僵尸网络”，或盗用公共服务器的计算资源。

The stolen bitcoin can be sold on the website, or it can be stored for price increases. In order to dig bitcoin more efficiently, some people even use the virus to build a “zombie network” or to embezzle the computational resources of public service providers.

　　监管者：比特币是最危险的货币？

Regulator: Bitcoin is the most dangerous currency?

　　美国对这种虚拟货币的监管已走出实质性一步

America's regulation of this virtual currency has taken a substantial step forward.

　　自从比特币问世，就不断有人质疑它的安全性。2011年6月19日，Mt.Gox比特币交易中心的安全漏洞导致1比特币一度跌至1美分，原因是一个黑客从感染木马的电脑上盗用了MtGox的安全证书，从而把比特币转到自己的账号上并抛售。尽管几分钟后MtGox关闭并取消了黑客事件中的不正常交易，使比特币价格反弹回到了15美元，但仍有相当于超过8750000美元的账户受到影响。

On 19 June 2011, the security gap at the Mt. Gox Bitcoin trading centre led to a one-cent drop in bitcoin because a hacker stole MtGox’s security certificate from a computer that infected a wooden horse, thereby transferring bitcoin to his account and selling it. Although a few minutes later MtGox closed down and cancelled the unusual deal in the hacker incident, returning bitcoin prices to $15, an account amounting to more than $875 million was affected.

　　这也正是比特币的致命软肋：作为“存在于网络上的货币”，黑客袭击对比特币造成的危害将更加致命。

This is also the fatal weakness of Bitcoin: the harm caused by hacker attacks on Bitcoin will be even more deadly as a “money in the web”.

　　而随着比特币规模的扩大，各国政府也逐渐开始注意这一新兴事物。美国政府则已经着手将这种“无政府的货币”纳入到有关部门的控制之下。

And as the size of Bitcoin expands, governments are gradually beginning to pay attention to this new phenomenon. The US government, for its part, has begun to bring this “no-government currency” under the control of the relevant authorities.

　　5月15日，美国国土安全局赢得法院许可，冻结全球最大的比特币交易所Mt. Gox拥有的两个银行账户，这意味着美国对这种虚拟货币的监管走出了实质性一步。位于日本的Mt.Gox交易所为全球超半数比特币兑换各国政府的真实货币。

On May 15, the United States Homeland Security Agency won a court permit to freeze two bank accounts owned by Mt. Gox, the world’s largest Bitcoin exchange, which means that the United States is taking a substantial step forward in regulating this virtual currency. The Mt. Gox exchange, which is based in Japan, converts more than half of the world’s currency into the real currency of governments.

　　与此同时，Mt.Gox的CEO——Karpeles现在正被美国海关指控未登记就进行货币交易，因此面临巨额罚款或高至五年的有期徒刑。事发当天，比特币的兑换价格一度下跌达9%。

At the same time, the CEO-Karpeles of Mt. Gox is now accused by United States Customs of carrying out currency transactions without registration, and is facing a huge fine or imprisonment of up to five years. On the day of the incident, Bitcoin’s exchange price fell by 9%.

　　一般观点认为，比特币最近的暴涨暴跌是让它获得监管机构关注的原因。但不能否认的是，长期以来，市场管理者一直担忧比特币被用于洗钱甚至是资助恐怖主义活动，抑或其本身就是诈骗犯罪的一部分。

It is generally argued that the recent surge and collapse in bitcoin has brought it to the attention of regulators. But it cannot be denied that market regulators have long feared that bitcoin is being used for money-laundering and even for the financing of terrorism, or that it is itself part of a fraud offence.

　　这一担忧并非空穴来风。2012年8月下旬，Bitcoin Savings and Trust被所有者关闭，并留下据称约560万美元的债务，同时导致其被指控操作庞氏骗局；而一家名为“丝绸之路”的网站则涉嫌用比特币进行毒品交易和走私。

In late August 2012, Bitcoin Savings and Trust were shut down by their owners, leaving an alleged debt of some $5.6 million, which led to their being accused of operating the Ponzi scheme, while a website called the Silk Road was suspected of drug trafficking and smuggling in Bitcoin.

　　目前，比特币仍被大多数国家看作合法的虚拟商品，然而其货币属性至今未得到确认。如果不能将自己置入国家的货币体系，那么比特币将难逃被边缘化的命运；但即使是为了获得监管部门的信任，比特币要走的路也还很长。

Bitcoin is still regarded as a legal virtual commodity in most countries, yet its monetary identity has not yet been confirmed. If it is not placed in the country’s monetary system, bitcoin will not escape marginalization; but even if it is to gain the trust of the regulatory sector, bitcoin will have a long way to go.

　　比特币究竟会迎来怎样的结局？恐怕只有时间能给出答案。

What is the end of Bitcoin? I'm afraid only time will give us the answer.

　　晨报记者 许诺

Morning reporter. Promise.

　　■名词解释

　　比特币

bitcoin/strong>