????確實，美歐當局早已開始擔心比特幣的價值可能迅速增長，成為一大問題。美國聯邦調查局（FBI）在今年春季的一份報告中建議，比特幣的第三方交易平臺必須遵守銀行（理應）遵守的反洗錢規定。

????“美國政府對于這些交易平臺沒有多大影響力，”卡耐基梅隆大學（Carnegie Mellon University）教授、密碼與安全專家尼古拉斯?克里斯蒂安告訴《財富》雜志（Fortune)稱。“目前尚不清楚這些交易平臺是什么狀況。它們是否出售貨幣產品，是否在銷售一些金融產品或一些不存在的東西？”

????但我們確切知道的是，比特幣在一些法律監管的灰色地帶中運作。目前比特幣交易完全不受監管，也不受美國和國際銀行法規的管轄。雖然這對于那些想躲在暗處的人們是件好事，但反過來，也會阻止美國和歐洲的普通人和合法商人接納它。事實上，今年夏季比特幣匯率大跌部分原因正是一個比特幣的主要網絡交易平臺遭到了網絡大搶劫。如果合法性和安全性得不到保障，比特幣可能繼續作為影子貨幣存在，估值容易出現大幅波動。

????但這種狀況或許已開始發生變化，至少歐洲是這樣。作為眾多比特幣交易平臺之一，Bit-Coin Central公司本月早些時候宣布已與法國本地支付服務提供商Aqoba結盟，為第三方在支付賬戶中保存資金。雖然這沒有使Bit-Coin Central變成一家銀行（因為它不能投資持有的比特幣），但由Aqoba作為Bitcoin交易的中間人將給用比特幣交易的用戶心中帶來一些安全感。

????雖然BitCoin Central表示它不是一家銀行，但它提供的功能與銀行非常相似。最終，比特幣或許可以在很多日常銀行交易中代替歐元。但這種情況不會在一夜之間發生，原因很簡單：比特幣系統對于大多數人而言都過于復雜。

????改變的催化劑可能來自像伊朗這樣的地方，嚴厲制裁已導致本幣近乎崩潰。如果伊朗有足夠多的“合法”用戶開始使用這一系統，那么比特幣這個妖精可能會從此永遠逃出魔瓶，不僅給銀行利潤造成沖擊，也會對主權國家的貨幣監管機構構成威脅。

????譯者：早稻米

????Indeed, authorities in the US and Europe are already concerned that Bitcoins could soon grow in value and become a major problem. The FBI recommended in a report this spring that third-party exchanges of Bitcoins be forced to adhere to the same anti-money laundering that the banks (are supposed) to be following.

????"The US government doesn't have much leverage over the exchanges," Nicholas Christian, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and an expert on cryptography and security, told Fortune. "It is not clear, yet, what status these exchanges have. Are they selling monetary products, are the selling financial products, or something else that doesn't exist?"

????What we do know is that Bitcoins operate in some sort of legal grey area, which is for now allowing Bitcoin transactions to occur totally unregulated and outside the scope of both US and international banking laws. While this may be great for people who want to live in the shadows it is deterring everyday people and legitimate merchants in the US and Europe from embracing it. Indeed, part of the crash in BitCoin value last summer was due in part to a major heist at one of the major online exchanges by cyber bandits. Without that legitimacy and security, Bitcoins will probably remain a shadow currency, which will be vulnerable to wild swings in valuation.

????But that may start to change, at least in Europe. Bit-Coin Central, one of the many online Bitcoin exchanges, announced earlier this month that it was teaming up with Aqoba, a local payment service provider in France, to keep funds on behalf of third-parties in payment accounts. While this doesn't make Bit-Coin Central a bank (as it cannot invest the Bitcoins it holds), it will bring some peace of mind for users when doing business in Bitcoins, as Aqoba works as an intermediary for Bitcoin transactions.

????While BitCoin Central says it is not a bank, it is performing very "bank-like" functions. Eventually, Bitcoins could be used as a way to replace the euro in many everyday bank transactions. But it won't happen overnight for one simple reason: The Bitcoin system is far too complex for most people.

????The catalyst for change could come out of places like Iran where crippling sanctions have made their currency collapse in value. If enough "legitimate" users in Iran start to use the system, then the Bitcoin genie could forever be out of the bottle, threatening not only just bank profits, but also the monetary authority of sovereign nations.