Why bitcoin will move out of the gray zone and be embraced by more big names

Last year was a great year for bitcoin, with the digital currency going from a “fringe, techie libertarian” thing to “more of a mainstream technology,” says Alan Silbert, founder of BitPremier, a “bitcoin luxury marketplace” for goods and services including homes, cars and boats.

With venture capital flowing into bitcoin ventures, “some very intelligent people are starting to take notice” and seek a deeper understanding of its potential. Hurdles include regulation and tax issues, but Silbert thinks 2014 should prove to be the year when bitoin moves “out of the gray zone” as governments sort through those issues and the currency is embraced by more big names.