Just a few years ago, you would have been hard pressed to find anyone familiar with Bitcoin or cryptocurrency in general. That previous reality changed dramatically a few months ago, when the familiarity and popularity of cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin in particular, skyrocketed. To just scratch the surface, Bitcoin is a payment system that could be compared to PayPal. It is a peer to peer system originally presented to the world as open source software. Cryptography is responsible for both controlling the transfer of currency and its very creation. According to a recent article published by Forbes, “Bitcoin is a grassroots nonprofit project seeking to create a new currency with little more than encryption, networking, and open source software” (Greenberg 1). The main cause of the significant attention that Bitcoin gained last year was its value, known for constant fluctuation, which managed to exceed $1,300 for a single coin. While managing to turn many early adopters into millionaires, this substantial increase in value has also attracted mainstream media attention and transformed Bitcoin, as well as other similar cryptocurrencies, into virtual assets with great potential in a number of different ways. aspects (Greenberg 2). The future of cryptocurrencies and their use as both virtual and decentralized currencies and tradable assets currently appears to be bright, as their adoption across the globe is currently experiencing rapid and significant growth. Perhaps the most targeted use for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin is, as the name suggests, as a virtual currency. At the moment, it seems that Bitcoin has the most potential of all the cryptocurrencies… paper halves… created due to the large amount of coins that early adapters managed to raise. For the future of cryptocurrencies to finally reach the finish line of replacing fiat currency as a standard and traditional payment option, and for its future as both virtual and decentralized currencies and tradable assets, currently appears to be very bright. Although much progress has already been made in this direction, there is still much to do. However, optimism should remain intact as improvements are constantly occurring and cryptocurrency continues to attract the attention of millions of people around the world, with many financial analysts predicting even more significant growth in cryptocurrency values. As the uses and advancement of technology continue every day, our society continues to become more and more digital with each passing day.