Real Money: Bitcoin Photos of the world of things

 Bitcoins have been around for about five years, and became the first cryptocurrency, which knows only a narrow circle of computer geeks. Experts say that the new money will affect our world. California photographer Megan Miller in his series is the physical embodiment of the electronic exchange, to show people that Bitcoin - not just an abstraction of a complex technological world. 

 I  wanted to capture as Bitcoins are embodied in the physical world, and  try to explain not only that they look like, but also what is happening  in their community of users at the present stage of development of the  currency. At first, I shoot what you can pay for Bitcoins. Poteau I knew how to shoot a farm for mining, transactions, and various ways to protect your Bitcoins. It seems to me that this currency and the technology on which it is  based, an interesting impact on our world, and I want to take a picture  of them every step of the way.
In  2011, Mike Caldwell Casascius under the name began to mint coins in  which a holographic label is hidden access code to Bitcoin wallet. Volume purse depended on merits ordered coins. 

 The man in the locket with coins, cast in silver and gold. Coins containing access keys to 65 Bitcoins (more than  over 21 500 dollars for the BTC-e rate at 30/07/14)
Now anyone can buy with coins attached Bitcoin-empty wallets. Fill purses customers can themselves. Sale of coins, which are already some amount was not quite legal. 

 Mining - extraction process of virtual money by participating in the handling of foreign transactions - is becoming increasingly resource-intensive process. As a result, one even a very powerful computer can not produce adequate amounts. Therefore, users have to integrate computers into pools. For a month such a machine can produce about 1 Bitcoin (about 338 Dolar by BTC-e rate at 30/07/14) 

 This machine - part of the pool for Bitcoin mining. Located in a free corner of a conventional American office
Paper Bitcoins can print any, for this there is a lot of services. Essentially this paper, which is printed on the purse address in various forms, whether the character set or QR-code. 

 Some distribute paper purses with Bitcoins to popularize currency
Full-time transactions with Bitcoin - a popular method of acquisition currency. On transactions negotiated as forums, and by means of special services such LocalBitcoins, with more than 100 thousand users. Furthermore, there are gatherings Bitcoin users to conduct face to face transactions. 

 Two users met to exchange cash for Bitcoins
The Bitcoin community of users a system of proposals to improve the exchange. One of them - under the number 38 - essentially a two-step authentication system: in order to gain access to the wallet, a user must provide not only the key but a passphrase. 

 Man shows Mycelium using the application, it can strengthen the  protection of their account via BIP38-encryption and easy to wear a  paper wallet, which shows him the access code
Bitcoin understandably become very attractive payment instruments for drug traffickers. This legalization of recreational marijuana sales does not necessarily sever these relationships. For  example, in Colorado, where cannabis was legalized in the beginning of  the year, in April there was a vending machine with grass. For  payment is accepted cash and credit cards, but the owner of a trading  company has promised to soon add support cryptocurrency. 

 That person grows and sells its own marijuana illegally for cash and for Bitcoin, because they are not easy to track
Despite the "cyberpunk" halo Bitcoin - a niche not only currency to purchase cocaine and washing off the money. On cryptocurrency can be purchased less exotic products and services: equipment, food, clothing, video games, cars and even more. The list of those who take to the calculations of Bitcoins, is constantly growing. 

 The hosting company accepts Bitcoins, establishes a new server in your data center