Brian Doherty: Bitcoin Can't Be Stopped, But Can It Be Spoiled?

The decentralized private digital currency Bitcoin has had a busy few months, writes Brian Doherty. It has grown from an obsession of tech-geek libertarians to a staple of financial news and a subject of great interest to government officials.

Last week, an account associated with the prominent Japan-based Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox was seized by the Department of Homeland Security essentially because the government claims that Mt. Gox was legally required to register as a "money transmitting business." Is this the beginning of the end of anonymity for Bitcoin?