cypherf0x: I'm certainly interested, although not sure how much use I would be. For what it's worth, I'm currently studying for a master's in physics, focusing on computational simulation of real systems, so I've got a decent mathematics/software background, just not much on the hardware. I'm actually quite tempted to grab one of the dev boards mentioned here, not that I expect doing so to be profitable (nor entirely relevant to this project), since it seems like as good a way as any to pick up some general knowledge in an area that looks as though it could suit me well.

bulanula: Pretty much everything you say about bitcoin could equally be said of gold, surely? The fact that it can be mined and can't be traded directly for most goods and services doesn't preclude its value or usefulness.