Most 'digital currencies' are not really digital currencies at all.

When we started ShapeShift, a future world of natively digital assets was very theoretical.

Credits in your PayPal account are really just USD-backed - they are not a unique currency themselves. Other 'digital currencies,' such as Facebook Credits, can be created out of nothing and without limit, so they are not serious money.

The big exchanges that hold customer deposits are a big target for hackers, and unfortunately, most bitcoin exchanges store user funds.

ShapeShift has no user accounts, signup, or registration process whatsoever. But it's faster and far more convenient than traditional exchanges.

Whenever the price of cryptocurrency is rallying, people start spending a lot more.