Bitcoin received some favorable press from the website Springwise, leaders in identifying the latest innovations in the marketplace. Go to the following link to find out more: http://www.springwise.com/financial_services/bitcoin/
The University of Chicago Innovation Roundtable will be hosting a discussion presentation on this peer-to-peer currency model.
Event Details
As financial transactions have become increasingly digital, global, and expensive, opportunities for digital currencies to find a niche have expanded. Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer, open-source currency that is already in use around the world. Bitcoin's affordability, privacy and lack of central authority offers users powerful options to trade with other peers directly or via one of the many businesses facilitating transactions. In fact, despite uncertain exposure from competition and regulation, a fledgling economy of businesses that accept "BTC" now offer all manner of goods and services. The project has been called visionary, nerdy, even dangerous. Guest speakers Shaun Kranish and Richard Wagner explain the fundamentals of Bitcoin and discuss its growing use, challenges and potential future.
Speaker Profiles
Richard Wagner and Shaun Kranish (Speaker), Bitcoin
http://www.bitcoin.org/
Shaun Kranish is an Internet marketer and entrepreneur. From a very young age, he has worked with computer hardware, networks, and software. Shaun has owned and operated his own IT consulting firm for nearly 10 years, owned and operated an Internet café, and currently operates a number of e-commerce websites, membership websites, opt-in email marketing lists, and more. Having worked with online payment systems, merchant accounts, and the fees with which they are normally associated, Shaun understands how current payment services affect e-commerce, and how Bitcoin may change the playing field in that regard.
Richard Wagner has been an educator for over 20 years. For the last 10 years he has been developing unique and substantive science programs for top private schools. He enjoys inspiring young learners to discover science, and his students have gone on to some of the world's most elite universities. His highly diverse background includes park ranger, wilderness expedition director and museum educator. He owned an organizational development consulting firm for business leaders and is published as a freelance war correspondent. Richard's wide-ranging interests extend to computing. Bitcoin came to his attention last January, and he has since taken on a role in introducing the project to new audiences.
Questions
Mary Drotar, '94
312.212.3144