Bitcoin has won a Linux award at CeBIT 2014 – Europe's premier tech trade show.

The award was handed out at the Linux New Media Awards 2014, where bitcoin was named the 'most innovative open-source project'.

The open-minded, open-source community behind Linux has a soft spot for innovation, encryption and apparently privacy.

In addition to bitcoin, the audience also decided to hand out further awards to email encryptor GnuPG and the Tor project, along with developers' tool Git.

Thousands of Linux enthusiasts and readers of leading Linux publications took part in the vote, reports Linux-magazin.de.

However, bitcoin received the distinction of being the most innovative open-source project. Open-source advocate Thomas Uhl praised the role of digital currencies and said he is a bitcoin user and a fan.

The award was accepted by Oliver Flaskämper from Bitcoin Germany GmbH, the company behind bitcoin.de.

Flaskämper said bitcoin.de is the biggest marketplace for bitcoin in Europe, and that the exchange is in good health – probably in an effort to distance himself from now-bankrupt bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox.

He likened bitcoin to several online services that have transformed the online landscape in the past, such as Wikipedia and social networks, and suggested that bitcoin will revolutionise the global financial system.

This is not bitcoin's first tech accolade this year. Back in February, TechCrunch awarded it the Best Technology Achievement 2013 award, or 'Crunchie'. The award was accepted by Peter Vessenes, Chairman of the Bitcoin Foundation.

In its summary of the award, TechCrunch concluded that bitcoin is “almost mainstream” and that it seems likely it is here to stay.