SUNNYVALE, California: Tucked away in an air conditioned data center in Silicon Valley is a hodgepodge of black boxes, circuit boards and cooling fans owned by 27-year-old Aaron Jackson-Wilde, a modern-day prospector looking for Bitcoins.
Since discovering the digital currency a few months ago, Jackson-Wilde has paid about US$2,000 (RM6,000) for his "rigs," which are powered by specialised computer chips. They are designed to help operate and maintain the Bitcoin network - and, in return, generate a small reward in a process known as "Bitcoin mining."