Bitcoin and the media have not always been on the best of terms. For one thing, mainstream media of the digital currency has not always been plentiful, and when the media does make time for bitcoin, it can sometimes be distorted or off the mark, or just plain short.
Furthermore, the idea that bitcoin is completely anonymous and untraceable and therefore continually used in crime syndicates is also allegedly attributed to the media constantly spreading the word so, but the anonymity behind bitcoin is not entirely factual. Blockchain transactions can be traced (Ross Ulbricht and the Silk Road trial have proven that), and when it comes down to it, it’s likely that bitcoin up to this point hasn’t earned a major spot in the media’s radar.
But will all that change now in 2015? For the longest time, bitcoin has been in an “infantile state.” Despite being around for about six years, it has taken a long time for people and businesses alike to get used to the idea of digital currency, but the attitude towards bitcoin seems to have changed somewhat. Areas such as the United States and Canada, rather than implementing a full-on ban, have expressed openness towards the idea of regulation. Several big-name businesses, such as Overstock and Microsoft have expanded their payment platforms to include bitcoin, and now, it seems that even the idea amongst media conglomerates is also changing towards bitcoin.
News platforms such as CNN and The Wall Street Journal are taking time out of their busy schedules to report on digital currency and spread the word to readers. Apparently, bitcoin and its cryptocurrency cousins suddenly “seem like news,” and that can most likely be attributed to the fact that bitcoin’s popularity has greatly increased. With a number of large businesses and individuals willing to use bitcoin, with politicians and lawmakers puzzling over it, bitcoin has become more mainstream itself, and probably now ranks higher among items to report.
Throughout this year and in the years to come, it’s likely we’ll see bitcoin’s reputation grow even further, and as bitcoin grows, we’ll likely see its coverage grow, so we probably can’t be too surprised when we major publications and players in the news arena adding bitcoin to their finance sections.