The Bitcoin Foundation

"Bitcoin continues to develop and currently it is still a volatile trading instrument with risk, but I do expect the volatility to decline as more consumers and businesses accept the currency," Gilabert adds, recognizing its other intrinsic uses. "Bitcoin offers a standard protocol for currency and stored value, the blockchain platform makes Bitcoin safer than a credit card or even a bank." Despite falling prices, Bitcoin investor numbers grew by an average of 3.12% in 2014, Bitcoinist notes, while company growth averaged 14.18% monthly. While Russia has bailed out its first bank this week with over 30 billion rubles (around US$550 million), it is in countries such as neighboring Belarus, CoinTelegraph considered, where Bitcoin could serve as an exit strategy. The government, whose policies include direct ties with the Russian economy, imposed capital controls in the form of a 30% foreign currency tax in order to protect the Belarusian ruble, whose value has begun to fall significantly.