> Bitcoin has fluctuated wildly in value, highlighted by a chart from Coinbase showing that it increased over 400 percent in November and then lost nearly half

> Bitcoin has fluctuated wildly in value, highlighted by a chart from Coinbase showing that it increased over 400 percent in November and then lost nearly half its value in December. That type of volatility is an invitation to unscrupulous dealers and merchants to overcharge or underpay. > To protect consumers who want to use Bitcoin for legitimate transactions, the government may adopt reporting requirements on virtual currency exchanges so that there is a public repository of information about prices. Although the government cannot control the value of a virtual currency, it can make the currency more transparent to users so that they are not defrauded. --- Ehhh, really? In one paragraph they point out the price history of Coinbase, and then in the next paragraph they say "the government outta do it". And yeah-- the government is technically unable to control the prices of virtual currencies but government also _should not_ be in the business of controlling prices anyway. That leads to a distortion of market prices and a bad deal for one side or the other.