First ever reference to Bitcoin in a US Supreme Court ruling

On June 21st, the Supreme Court issued a ruling on Wisconsin Central Ltd. v. United States, a court case involving a dispute over whether worker stock options can be taxed as a kind of "compensation" in the same way that money is.



US Supreme Court justice Breyer made the reference to Bitcoin.



Breyer wrote:



"Moreover, what we view as money has changed over time. Cowrie shells once were such a medium but no longer are... our currency originally included gold coins and bullion, but, after 1934, gold could not be used as a medium of exchange... perhaps one day employees will be paid in Bitcoin or some other type of cryptocurrency."