This means that virtual items acquired within Entropia Universe have a real cash value, and a participant may, at any time, initiate a withdrawal of their accumulated PEDs back into real world currencies according to the fixed exchange rate, minus transaction fees, the minimum amount for a withdrawal is 1000 PED.

FORBES: Virtual Entropia Universe Property Sells for $335K Real Dollars

After a certain threshold of about 24 hours of continuous use, the bill accumulated at by-the-hour or by-the-minute rate typically exceeds the cost of otherwise paying a flat daily rate on a traditional car rental.

BBC: Pay-as-you-go rental cars

Because of restrictions on investment abroad and a dearth of high-yielding instruments at home, such money as has accumulated has been invested mainly in the domestic banking system, where it earns a rate of return far too low to meet the government's pension promises.

ECONOMIST: Getting old before getting rich