I don't really have the tech knowledge to speak on etherum. The article only mentions traveling briefly, but it's not the first instance I've heard of someone traveling and using the internet as their means for subsistence. It feels like it's this era's hitchhiker/traveler. When I had my first house of my own I gave up my couch on occasion to people traveling around. They were just hitching and panhandling/busking to get around. It's interesting to me, the contrast, up until now in history being transient has more or less meant living on modest means or hustling to make things happen. Now though, it seems if you're resoruceful/lucky and can get an internet connection, you can do just about anything.
White paper here: http://ethereum.org/ethereum.html.