In economics, a commodity is a marketable item produced to satisfy wants or needs. Economic commodities comprise goods and services.

A currency (from Middle English curraunt, meaning in circulation) in the most specific use of the word refers to money in any form when in actual use or circulation, as a medium of exchange, especially circulating paper money.

I've been sitting on this for a while because I haven't wanted to get caught up in any of the currency versus commodity debates going on but I can hold my metaphorical tongue no longer.

Bitcoin shares many of the traits displayed by money, currencies, commodities, stock, credits, and other exchangeable items that economic infrastructures are built around, however, it transcends them.

The synergy Satoshi created by utilizing a hash based proof-of-work system verified by a peer-to-peer network is not adequately described by any of the previous terms in their current incarnations. Consequently, new rules, laws, business etiquette, security measures, etc. will all have to be built from the ground up, free from the old, cumbersome restrictions and antiquated mentalities lingering in this brave, new world.

This manifestation of an intangible, archtypal ideal is giving us glimpses through doors that even the least cynical of us have always believed to be locked. Even if Bitcoin does die, it has opened my eyes to wondrous possibilities that will live at least as long as I do.

And that, my friends, is how Bitcoin won my admiration and continues to enthrall me to this day.