Bitcoin isn't a currency - and unless it becomes one it could be worthless

Is Bitcoin valuable? It has no industrial or decorative uses, and it doesn't entitle the holder to receive interest

Bitcoin is in decline. Not its price, which has increased 900% this year and (at the time of writing) stands at over US$12,000 per unit, but its actual use as a currency. And this makes its rapid appreciation all the more puzzling.

A few years ago, enthusiasts triumphantly shared announcements from businesses that had started accepting Bitcoin. Over the last couple of years, such announcements have become scarce. Instead, businesses that once accepted the currency have begun to drop it.

The BBC contacted ten businesses in London that once advertised accepting Bitcoin. Four no longer accepted