The story
As Internet-based economies edge closer to their real-world counterparts, one country is apparently trying to build a wall between the two.
China has announced new rules that prevent "virtual currencies" like Linden Dollars and QQ coins from being traded for real cash.
"It's a pretty important step," said Edward Castronova, a professor at the University of Indiana who studies virtual currency. "These virtual currencies, as they grow, are going to become competitors to real-world currencies -- and apparently that's what happening in China. These QQ coins are becoming things you can use at the corner store to top off your bill." 
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