Cryptocurrency J-pop band takes to the stage

What the world is waiting for…Japan, which last spring recognised Bitcoin as legal tender, has a new girl band, the Virtual Currency Girls, dedicated to spreading the word about cryptocurrencies.

Each of the eight members, known in Japanese as Kasotsuka Shojo, plays a character representing the likes of Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple. Launched by Japanese entertainment company Cinderella Academy, which manages several popular groups, the Virtual Currency Girls wear character masks, frilly mini-skirts and maid aprons complete with knee-high socks and their debut gig took place in Tokyo on Friday, with payment for merchandise accepted only in virtual currencies.

"We want to promote the idea through entertainment that virtual currencies are not just a tool for speculation but are a wonderful technology that will shape the future," says the group's leader Rara Naruse. Their debut song, The Moon and Virtual Currencies and Me, warns against fraudulent operators and highlights the importance of online security.

Check them out here. Personally, we at RTIH prefer Taylor Swift.