SECRET MONEY: LIVING ON BITCOIN IN THE REAL WORLD

Bitcoin has become known for its use to gamble, buy drugs and arrange hits, but that’s not why it was originally set up. The first white paper on the currency, published by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto, enthused about the ability to send money around the world easily and without transaction fees, and that’s why now, five years after its creation, it’s gone from being worth pennies to hundreds of dollars. Forbes Senior Online Editor Kashmir Hill explores the cryptocurrency’s rise through the lens of her trying week surviving on the digital coin.