Thursday, January 30.2014 + JAYHAWKS ABROAD VOL.3 INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIPS IN LONDON, SYDNEY, DUBLIN, MADRID, AND SHANGHAI. APPLICATIONS DUE FEB. 3. + LEARN MORE ON PAGE 6 SPEND A SEMESTER IN COSTA RICA COVER PHOTO TAKEN BY ANDY LARKIN STUDY ABROAD FAIR! FEBRUARY 5TH 10:30-3:30 4TH FLOOR KANSAS UNION APPLICATION DEADLINE MARCH 1 FOR SUMMER, FALL & OSA SCHOLARSHIPS LEARN MORE ON PAGE 5 + progress Advancements toward an intramural championship between Mizzou were made over winter break and will continue throughout the semester. Marcus Tetwiler is working with a corporate sponsor to cover travel expenses and funding for food. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MICHAEL STRICKLAND/KANSAN A new form of digital currency known as bitcoin has recently come into prominence. Only 21 million bitcoin exist, and 12 million are currently in circulation. Amelia Arvesen http://bit.ly/1e94M7t Check out the full story and podcast online gets bigger.' GRAHAM STEVENSON Leawood junior currency is finding itself in the limelight this week, thanks to controversy surrounding Charlie Shrem, the CEO of BitInstant, a popular bitcoin exchange website. Shrem faces accusations that he knowingly used the company to convert cash to bitcoin to be used on Silk Road, a blackmarket website shut down last year that is primarily used to purchase drugs. With attention like this across the media and the Internet, questions and concerns continue to pop up regarding this new, mysterious technology. Bitcoin acts as a form of payment on the Internet, with buyers and sellers transfering professor Shu Wu said it's not a surprising development in the way we pay for things. "Different forms of money and payment have been used historically," Wu said. "First it was stones, precious metals or even chocolate as money, so as technology progresses you start to see these different forms take shape." Many of the comparisons made for bitcoin are not to How do you get bitcoin? "People think of Bitcoin as a currency, but it's really more of a speculative commodity. It's sometimes easier for people to work with it when you think about it like this," said Walt Ohnesorge, a board member cash but to gold, which is a precious, finite commodity, unlike money. CLASSIFIEDS 13 CROSSWORD 5 at the Lawrence Percolator, a nonprofit local art gallery that is the first business in Lawrence to accept bitcoin transactions. CRYPTOQUIPS 5 OPINION 4 There is a finite amount of bitcoin in the world, 21 million to be exact, and 12 million are currently in circulation. In order for a bitcoin to come SPORTS 14 SUDOKU 5 Those who mine bitcoin do so by solving difficult computer algorithms, almost like computer puzzles, to release the coins. Not just into circulation, it must first be "mined." All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2014 The University Daily Kansan SEE COIN PAGE 7 Groundhog Day is Sunday. Cloudy. 10 percent chance of rain. Wind WSW at 23 mph. Today's Weather