"Distrust of government-issued currencies, or competitive threats involving businesses, for years has prompted the occasional alternative currency to emerge, but few have had much staying power," says Jeffrey Green, director of Mercator Advisory Group's Emerging Technologies Advisory Service and author of the report. "Fears tend to subside once the situation stabilizes and conditions improve. But alternative currencies that complement and reward traditional payment card use have found a niche that will keep them prospering for years to come."
Highlights of the report include:
- An overview of Bitcoin and its potential to disrupt the global online marketplace
- A look at Amazon's new Coins virtual currency and whether it fits with market trends
- An analysis of the potential threat or opportunity of examined alternative currencies for traditional card issuers and networks
This report is 24 pages along with five exhibits
Companies mentioned in the report include: Amazon, American Airlines, American Express, Andreessen Horwitz, BerkShares Inc., Bitcoin 7, Bitcoin Foundation, Bitfloor, Bitmarket.eu, BitPay, Bitomat, Btcex.com, Btetree, Capital One, Carlson Companies, CNBC, Coinbase, CoinLab, Coinsetter, Delta, Discover, Dwolla, eBay, Expensify, Facebook, frequentflier.com, Gyft, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Microsoft, mileblaster.com, MoneyGram, Mt. Gox, Mutum Sigillum, OpenCoin, PayPal, PPCoin, Points.com, Redditt, Ripple, Robocoin, Royal Canadian Mint, Ruxum, Silk Road, Skype, Target, TradeHill, traxo.com, Twitter, Union Square Ventures, Vircurex, Webflyer.com, Wells Fargo, Western Union, WordPress, and World Bitcoin Exchange.