is facing an existential crisis.

面臨存亡危機

Everyone told you that Bitcion was an indestructible payment system,

大家都告訴你比特幣是個牢不可破的支付系統

but, it may be flawed.

但是，他是有缺陷的

It was designed to be limited to 21 million coins,

比特比的數量被限制在兩千一百萬個

and so that no single institution could control the bitcoin network.

所以沒有任何單一的機構能夠控制比特幣的網絡

But now, if it's to save itself, it may need some decisive leadership.

但現在，如果它想要拯救自己的話，會需要當機立斷的領導力

As it stands, Bitcion operates through shared public ledger,

目前來說，比特幣透過公開共享的總帳來運作

called the blockchain.

這個總帳叫做區塊鍊

Think of this as a type of library, but one held in every computer in the network.

可以把它想做一種圖書館，但是在每個網路中的電腦都有它

Within that library, every book represents a day's block,

圖書館裡的每一本書都代表一天的區塊

limited in size, usually full of transactions.

固定大小，通常滿是交易資料

Importantly, only those who solve a specific mathematical puzzle,

最重要的，只有那些解開特定數學難題的人

one derived from all the books already in the library,

而且是要透過圖書館裡的每一本書來得到解答

have permission to add a new book onto the shelves.

才有資格可以把新的書放進櫃子

These puzzle-solvers are called miners,

這些解謎的人被稱作礦工

and they get a reward every time they add a new entry.

每次新增帳目都會獲得獎勵

Until now, this has been that primary source of revenue.

目前為止，這是利潤的主要來源

Problem is, there are now more transactions than space in these blocks, or "books."

問題是，現在的交易數量已經大過於這些區塊（或是書）的空間了

If Bitcoin gets more popular,

如果比特幣持續變得更熱門

this could impose a speed limit on how quickly transactions can be processed,

這將會造成交易進行的速度被限制

and means miners will have to charge more for priority access.

也代表礦工們要支付額外費用來獲得優先權

To scale effectively, even new third parties would have to be introduced

要讓比特幣有效的擴大與成長，甚至需要引進一個新的第三方

to process transactions outside the Blockchain,

來處理區塊鍊之外的交易

or the limits will have to be removed, allowing for ever bigger blocks.

或是取消限制，以便能有更大的區塊

Over the next few months, miners will vote on which software update to implement.

往後的幾個月裡，礦工會投票決定要使用哪種軟體更新

Option A, Bitcoin Core.

選擇一，Bitcoin Core

Or option B, Bitcoin Unlimited.

或是選擇二，Bitcoin Unlimited

If it's ever going to be business-friendly, then this political flaw, needs to be resolved.

如果比特幣要易於在商業上操作，那麼這個政治上的缺失就必須要被解決

What happens next is anyone's guess.

沒有人能確定接下來的發展

All we know is that billions of dollars of Bitcoin value could be at stake,

我們只知道價值數百萬美元的比特幣會在危急關頭

in the event there is no decisive agreement.

如果沒有一個決定性的協議的話