Technology Quarterly | Chips off the block
From one cryptocurrency to thousands
Bitcoin has spawned a horde of imitators
BITCOIN FANS like to point out that, like gold, the cryptocurrency is in limited supply. Its protocol specifies that only 21m bitcoin will ever be mined, with the last batch due in the middle of the 22nd century. A fixed supply, say bitcoiners, ensures that, unlike ordinary currencies, it will not be eroded by inflation.
This article appeared in the Technology Quarterly section of the print edition under the headline “Chips off the block”