Ecuador is planning to create the world's first government-issued digital currency, which some analysts believe could be a first step toward abandoning the country's existing currency, the U.S. dollar, which the government cannot control.
The virtual currency, which Central Bank officials say they expect will start circulating in December, does not yet have a name. Officials would not disclose technical details of the strictly digital currency, which they said would not be like Bitcoin. The amount of the new currency created would depend on demand.