Analysis and Risks of Using Digital Money

This work is concerned with the description of the functioning of digital money and its technological component, the experience of its usage in various countries (including Russian Federation), as well as the description of the risks of its use in comparison with other kinds of money: fiat and electronic money. The purpose of the study is to carry out an assessment of potential risks of using Bitcoins as a form of cryptocurrency, and also to describe their development prospects, analyzing their economic, technical and legal essence, experience and regulation in different countries, including Russia. The objectives of the research are: 1. To study the history of the occurrence of digital money phenomenon. 2. To consider the principle of operation and security of the use of digital cash. 3. To analyze the risks, which are related to the use of digital money in the Russian Federation. The first chapter considers the theoretical base of digital money, their principle of operation, technology and benefits of their using. The second chapter provides a more detailed description of Bitcoins, which are the first cryptocurrency appeared in 2009. Furthermore, in the second chapter there is a risk assessment matrix using the comparative qualitative analysis between non-electronic fiat money, fiat electronic money and digital money. The third chapter of the research describes the legal regulation of the cryptocurrencies in various countries, including Russia. Moreover, there is an assessment of the prospects of development of blockchain technology (digital money are based on this technology) in the Russian Federation in the last part of the work. As a result of the work the goal and objectives were achieved: a quality assessment of the risks of using digital money was conducted, as well as forecasts of development of blockchain technology in Russia.