China May Hate Bitcoin, but the Digital Gold Still Has Its Lovers

Source: Flickr/BTC Keychain.

The increasing popularity of the digital currency Bitcoin has been of particular interest to investors and consumers alike. With an expanding base of online users, the crypto-currency has appeared on the radars of numerous governmental agencies, with some stating flatly that the currency is not really money and/or cannot be used. But while critics may think that the expanding list of governments against Bitcoin could lead to its demise, lovers and users of the anonymous currency can add another big name to the list of companies willing to accept it as payment for goods and services.

How many carrots can you buy with one bitcoin?
Online gaming firm Zynga is the latest in a string of companies and institutions supporting Bitcoin. Following the news that gamers could use the online currency for Zynga's online social gaming sites, the price for a single Bitcoin passed the $1,000 mark yet again.

The currency had been experiencing a lull in its value since the middle of December, when China's largest exchange said it would no longer take orders for Bitcoin following increased pressure from governmental authorities. Since then, the currency has been working its way back toward its recent highs, with Zynga's announcement pushing it over the top.

Testing, hedging, and gifting
Zynga's plan is to test the use of Bitcoin as a payment method for players of its popular games like "FarmVille 2" and "CastleVille" through the site BitPay. Other retailers, including L Brand's Victoria's Secret and Overstock.com , have announced they will accept Bitcoin as well. So far, customers can buy VS giftcards through the Gyft app.

It will be a little while until Overstock.com sets up its system for Bitcoin payment. When the site announced it was planning to accept Bitcoin, CEO Patrick Byrne said that it would take some time to figure out how the company would process Bitcoin transactions, as well as how to hedge its extreme price volatility -- hence the site's timeline stretching out to next summer.

A foggy future
Though there is obvious interest on behalf of online consumers, and statements from big firms like Bank of America stating that Bitcoin has a real chance at becoming a widely accepted form of payment in the future, there are still plenty of hurdles for the online currency to face.

Though global governments may have a final say in the legality of Bitcoin's use, consumers and retailers will play the ultimate roles in determining how widespread the use of an anonymous online currency will get.

Without the acceptance of Bitcoin as payment for goods and services from a large number of retailers and other companies, Bitcoin's chance of acceptance as a true currency will be slim. For now, the news from Zynga and other companies willing to take the risk on is a sure sign that Bitcoin isn't going away anytime soon.

Other game-changing trends like Bitcoin
With the continued use of online banking and shopping, there's no confusion as to why a digital currency would appeal to consumers. Since the traditional bricks-and-mortar bank is going by the wayside, most banks are reducing their footprints and transitioning to a bigger online presence. But despite these efforts, they're still far behind a single and comparatively tiny lender that's already leapt into the future. Since the beginning of 2012 alone, this company's shares are already up more than 250%. And they're bound to go higher. To download our free report revealing the identity of this stock, all you have to do is click here now.

The article China May Hate Bitcoin, but the Digital Gold Still Has Its Lovers originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Jessica Alling has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Bank of America. The Motley Fool owns shares of Bank of America. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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