MMO game bank certified as real, legitimate bank in Sweden

The in-game bank found in the popular MMO Entropia Universe has been certified and insured as a standard, 'real-life' bank in Sweden.

The Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, after reviewing the bank's operations, made the call last week. With this formal certification, all in-game deposits will be guaranteed up to $60,000 USD, and the Entropia bank will be able to offer gamers interest on account balances, loans, and other common banking services.

Certifying a MMO game bank as an actual, legitimate bank is almost of heard of the world of online gaming -- but it can be expected to become more commonplace as the amount of virtual currency  shuffling through these games expands. Entropia Universe is a good first candidate for gaining an official, real-world bank, as the game has a vibrant game economy, and uses a virtual currency that can be bought (and sold) directly into real-world currency. In 2008, Entropia Universe broke a record for having the most expensive virtual items sold, for real-world cash. 

Entropia Universe has also been seen as a leading force in the world of virtual currencies, and were selected two years ago to help setup a virtual currency banking network in China.

The Entropia in-game bank will be called the Mind Bank, and will launch within the year.