Which is funny, because it's the second largest exchange now after MtGox, the second longest after gox, and the only major exchange with no security compromises. Does no one know about them? Bitcoins biggest secret.

There are two advantages to Mirah.
1) It doesn't need to load the Ruby standard library, so it's really quick to start up and uses less resources, this is important if you're using Google app engine, meaning much MUCH lower spin up time.
2) Static typing, it brings it with a ruby syntax, bringing along the associated speedup. Essentially it should execute at the same speed as Java.

Seriously, 1.3Billion seems like a lot, but 1/2 are peasants and most earn a pittence. See here http://my.telegraph.co.uk/dublinclontarf/blog/2010/01/15/china,_the_worlds_largest_market.

Why use encryption? The Government, and not necessarily your own. Why would a government care about the content you view from websites? I moved to China 6 months ago and am sick of half the internet being blocked, I can't talk to my friends or family on facebook, my porn is cut off and plenty more. And China is only at the forefront, Australia is close behind followed by the UK(in the "free" world), and every other despot country with internet.

I would put my money on Ruby, as a language it's pretty nice & powerfull, on top of that it's got some interesting implementations in the works (Rubinius).