  Digital currencies represent a new method for exchange and investment that
differs strongly from any other fiat money seen throughout history. A digital
currency makes it possible to perform all financial transactions without the
intervention of a third party to act as an arbiter of verification; payments
can be made between two people with degrees of anonymity, across continents, at
any denomination, and without any transaction fees going to a central
authority. The most successful example of this is Bitcoin, introduced in 2008,
which has experienced a recent boom of popularity, media attention, and
investment. With this surge of attention, we became interested in finding out
how people both inside and outside the Bitcoin community perceive Bitcoin --
what do they think of it, how do they feel, and how knowledgeable they are.
Towards this end, we conducted the first interview study (N = 20) with
participants to discuss Bitcoin and other related financial topics. Some of our
major findings include: not understanding how Bitcoin works is not a barrier
for entry, although non-user participants claim it would be for them and that
user participants are in a state of cognitive dissonance concerning the role of
governments in the system. Our findings, overall, contribute to knowledge
concerning Bitcoin and attitudes towards digital currencies in general.
