American law is supposedly based on English Common Law.  Sir William Blackstone's,
Commentaries on the Laws of England states:

"With regard to the materials, Sir Edward Coke lays it down, that the money of England must either be of gold or silver; and none other was ever issued by the royal authority till 1762, when copper farthings and half­pence were coined by King Charles the Second... But this copper coin is not upon the same footing with the other in many respects..."

So the case could be made that Bitcoins aren't money.

HOWEVER -- if we round the current Bitcoin price to $50-- if you had purchased Bitcoins
when they were one penny per Bitcoin, a $200 Federal Reserve Note investment would
be worth $1,000,000 so-called "dollars" today.  And you would be a Bitcoin Millionaire
like Max Keiser.

SO WHAT EVER YOU CALL THEM, BITCOINS HAVE VALUE!

But I never bought Bitcoins when they were a penny. And some days that makes me feel
like a simpleton.  

I also never bought Bitcoins when they were $5.  So I missed out on a 10-Bagger!
And that's what happens when you're undecided.  

Tip-o-the-Hat to the Bitcoin Millionaire Club!!!!

So it's official!  With Bitcoin over $50 I missed out on a 10-bagger this past year!!! ARG!

Maybe I could open up a Lock & Safe store in Cyprus to catch up? 

I've been studying this forum since the MtGox episode and still misspelled Goxxed in my first post.

PS:  I don't consider studying to be lurking and don't like the negative connotation of lurker.
       My research here has been very enjoyable and entertaining.  Thanks!

I agree.

Can I trust the security of Bitcoins in a worst case scenario?

https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Weaknesses

Hi

I am Troy.

I may be late.

But I didn't get goxed!