n Vermont, Users of "Cryptocurrency" Bitcoin Are Few But Committed

Last week, in a small, subterranean workspace near downtown Burlington, a group of tech-savvy Vermonters held an open forum on a topic that’s attracted a great deal of attention lately: Bitcoin. Early adopters of the “cryptocurrency” believe it has the potential to upend the entire global economy.

Economic policy and the future of currency may seem like pretty dry subjects for a weekday evening meeting, but everyone in attendance was as enthusiastic as Sunday-afternoon football fans. Beers were drunk and slang was slung, even as the discussion turned to such topics as fiduciary decentralization and the effects of arbitrage on currency stability.

Those who are keen on Bitcoin are really keen on Bitcoin, and that includes several of the members of Laboratory B, the “community hackerspace” that hosted the discussion. Also in attendance at the event were a number of other locals who had personal or professional interests in Bitcoin.

It was clear that everyone present viewed Bitcoin as a “disruptive technology,” perhaps even the epitome of an internet-era game changer. If Bitcoin really takes hold — and it’s been showing signs of strength lately — then it has the potential to impact the economy at nearly every level, from buying a cup of coffee to reporting taxable income to facilitating international transactions.