“France’s central bank has warned against the use of the virtual currency bitcoin, noting that it is not only highly volatile but also unregulated by authorities. Launched in 2009 as the invention of a mysterious computer guru who goes by the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto, bitcoins can be exchanged online for real money or used to buy goods and services on the internet.  But the Bank of France is sceptical about the currency, and underlined that the ‘highly speculative’ currency poses a ‘certain financial risk’ to users. ‘Even if the high volatility of the bitcoin is of possible interest for individual or professional speculators, they should be aware of the risks they are taking,’ the bank said.”