Virtual currency bitcoin has been recognized by the German Finance Ministry as a "unit of account", meaning it is can be used for tax and trading purposes in the country.
Bitcoin is not classified as e-money or a foreign currency, the Finance Ministry said in a statement, but is rather a financial instrument under German banking rules. It is more akin to "private money" that can be used in "multilateral clearing circles", the Ministry said.
"We should have competition in the production of money. I have long been a proponent of Friedrich August von Hayek scheme to denationalize money. Bitcoins are a first step in this direction,"said Frank Schaeffler, a member of the German parliament's Finance Committee, who has pushed for legal classification of bitcoins.
CNBC
Bitcoin recognized by Germany as "private money" Matt Clinch | Assistant Producer (h/t Rohan Grey on FB) UPDATE:
Correction: an earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that bitcoin was legal tender. The virtual currency has been confirmed as a financial instrument or "private money".