The subject of the thesis are virtual currencies as a form of digital payment in electronic business. The development of technology has led to new phenomena in the financial world. One of these phenomena are cryptocurrencies, digital decentralized currencies created for the "world of the future" - which is global and virtual, based on highly sophisticated technology, the most significant of which is blockchain technology, which is believed to bring radical changes in the world's financial system and its future architecture. Bitcoin is the well-known digital currency, and at the same time a collection of concepts and technologies connected to the protocol, i.e., a cryptographic and mathematically secured network, without central authority, based on a community of users such as the Internet or the torrent. It represents a decentralized global network, where each user contributes to creating its value. Bitcoin brings revolutionary changes to the financial world such as decentralization, cryptographic protection, minimum fees, micro transactions, inflation resistance, and so on, making it more superior than other financial systems. However, virtual currencies are a kind of economic experiment and although many predict their successful the future, it does not have a guarantee. It will depend, above all, on the trust and power of the community created, and also the legal regulation. Digital currencies are the reality of today's economy and are rapidly becoming a means of market communication. The fundamental research question of this paper is to explore current domains of application and research topics in this area, identify challenges and guidelines for future studies related to virtual currency and related technology.