Bitcoin is a new kind of currency. But unlike, say, the dollar or the yen, it’s not backed by any government. Also, you can’t hold it in your hand or put it in your pocket; it exists only on computers.
Bitcoin is supposed to be cash for the Internet age — anonymous money that anyone can use without using a credit card or going through a bank.
On today’s Planet Money, try to get our hands on a few bitcoins, which turns out to be harder than it sounds.
We dig into some basic questions that come up when you’re creating a new currency from scratch.
And we buy lunch.