全国银行大门紧闭，疯狂的希腊人只能转向线上交易平台，想要看看比起欧元，比特币这种电子货币是不是更好的赌注。
世界上最大的比特币交易中心在接受采访时说，最近来自希腊方面的交易量明显上升。
该中心首席执行官Oliver Flaskaemper表示，大约比平常多九倍的希腊人在德国交易市场Bitcoin.de注册，交易比特币。世界上第三大交易中心Bitstamp上的数据显示，来自希腊的比特币交易比起最近十周的平均值，已经上涨了79%。
而远在中国的交易平台也获得了希腊人民的关注。近期，总部位于上海的LakeBTC收到的来自希腊的访问量就上涨了40%。
周末，波兰交易中心Bitcurex收到如洪水般来袭的希腊邮件。他们比较关心的问题有：
“比特币在欧盟属于合法货币么？”
“我能把Bitcurex当做银行账户使用么？”
“你们会在希腊设置比特币ATM网络么？”
随后Bitcurex就开始在网站上推出了专门针对希腊的营销策略:“在Bitcurex注册，即可免费交易3个月。不对希腊人民收费！”
对于那些有疑问的人说，是的，比特币在欧洲是合法的。同时，电子比特币钱包可以当作在任何地方都可以用的银行账户使用。
理解比特币最简单的方式就是把它当作一种电子现金。你可以用任何手机或者电脑使用比特币。
但是这并不是最艰难的部分。
首先，获得比特币非常难。在整个希腊，只有一个比特币ATM，位于首都雅典的一个书店内。在线上市场购买比特币是最普通的方法，但它需要发送来自银行的电汇，而希腊的银行通通都关闭了。
然后，又并不是完全没有可能。Bitcoin.de交易中心说，一些希腊人能够成功获取比特币，因为他们仍然能够使用线上银行服务。与此同时，LakeBTC表示，希腊人可以尝试找到愿意出卖比特币储存的当地LakeBTC用户，使用纸币或者PayPal购买比特币。
第二个挑战是什么呢？那就是，在希腊并没有多少比特币消费途径。一个公共注册库显示，在雅典仅有为数不多的几个商店接受比特币支付，这其中，包括一家叫做天使小酒馆的家庭餐厅、一个头颈外科诊所和一家游艇租赁公司。
CNNMoney去年的资料显示，甚至在纽约这样高科技的现代都市，也很难完全靠比特币生活。
2009年，比特币做为一种独立的电子化货比出现，作为由银行掌管、政府颁发的货币的完全替代选择。这应该算得上是它的光荣时刻。
但是，仍然需要时刻保持警惕。Bitcurex市场的发言人Filip Godecki表示，认为整个希腊的人突然舍弃欧元，开始用比特币进行交易是不切实际的。
“我不确定，周三希腊人会不会用比特币购买奶酪，”他说，“但是我觉得（银行倒闭之后）他们的思想发生了改变。希腊人民开始觉得，存储法定货币并不是那么安全。”
比特币最大的缺点是，它极不稳定。2012年11月，1比特币价值11美元，一年之后，飞涨到1100美元，而本周一，1比特币的交易额为253美元。
但是，Godecki说，希腊人民不应该因为比特币价格不稳定就将其舍弃，或者担心电子现金不是真实货币。
“你不应该舍弃比特币，”他说，“比起银行里那些得不到的钱，比特币更加真实。”
With bank doors slammed shut, frantic Greeks are turning to online trading platforms to see if the digital money Bitcoin is a better bet than the euro.
The world’s largest Bitcoin exchanges tell CNNMoney they’ve seen a surge of business from Greece.
Ten times as many Greeks are registering to trade bitcoins on the German marketplace Bitcoin.de than usual, according to CEO Oliver Flaskaemper. Bitcoin trades from Greece have shot up 79% from their ten-week average on Bitstamp, the world’s third-largest exchange.
Even trading platforms in China are getting interest. LakeBTC, headquartered in Shanghai, is seeing a 40% increase in visitors using computers in Greece.
Over the weekend, the Polish exchange Bitcurex got flooded with emails from Greeks. Among their questions:
“Is Bitcoin a legal currency in EU?”
“Can I use Bitcurex as a bank account?”
“Do you have a Bitcoin ATM network in Greece?”
Bitcurex then started marketing directly to Greeks on its website: “Sign up at Bitcurex and trade for 3 months for free. No Fees for Greece!”
For those wondering, yes, bitcoins can be spent legally in Europe. And yes, a digital Bitcoin wallet can be used as a sort of access-from-anywhere bank account.
The simplest way to understand Bitcoin is to think of it as electronic cash. You can spend it using any smartphone or computer.
But that’s not the hard part.
First, it’s incredibly difficult to obtain bitcoins. There’s a single Bitcoin ATM in all of Greece — at a bookstore in Athens. And the most common method — buying them in an online marketplace — requires sending a wire transfer from a bank. But banks in Greece are closed.
It’s not impossible, though. The exchange Bitcoin.de said some Greeks are managing to get bitcoins, because they still get access to online banking. Meanwhile, LakeBTC said Greeks can try to find local “LakeBankers” who are willing to sell some of their Bitcoin stash using paper cash or PayPal.
The second challenge? There aren’t many ways to spend them in Greece anyway. According to one publicly maintained registry, BitcoinMaps, there are only half a dozen spots in Athens that accept Bitcoin as payment. Among them: a family restaurant called Angel Tavern, a head-and-neck surgeon, and a yacht rental company.
As CNNMoney documented last year, it’s difficult to live entirely on Bitcoin — even in high tech, modern New York City.
Still, this is a pivotal moment. Bitcoin was created as an independent, computerized money in 2009 to provide a stark alternative to government-issued currency held at banks. This could be its moment to shine.
But keep your wits about you. Filip Godecki, the spokesman for the Bitcurex marketplace, said it’s unrealistic to think Greeks everywhere will suddenly ditch the Euro and start conducting business in Bitcoin.
“I’m not so sure Greeks will start buying cheese with Bitcoin on Wednesday,” he said. “But I think something changed in their minds [with the bank closures]. Greek people will start thinking about fiat currencies as something not so safe for savings.”
The biggest downside for Bitcoin is that it’s extremely volatile. In November 2012, a bitcoin was worth $11. That skyrocketed to $1,100 a year later. On Monday, a bitcoin was trading at $253.
But that shaky price shouldn’t keep Greeks away, Godecki said. Or worries that this electronic currency isn’t real money.
“You can’t be cut off from Bitcoin,” he said. “It can be much more real than the inaccessible money in the bank.”
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