I respect this take.

Yeah I see your point. I always get a little twitchy when I see bitcoiners bandwagoning, but I think we're a little late on this particular issue. Initially I didn't feel much sympathy for them either because I knew they drew that hostility towards themselves.

However, once I listened to how the trial went down I realized two things:

1. The DOJ shouldn't be able to get away with that behavior.

2. Their case sets a tough precedent against Bitcoin services being categorized as money transmitters.

This is just one battle in a much longer process imo. It may not affect me directly, but I think it's worth standing up for them being imprisoned over a victimless crime. Just my two cents.

As a person who did use their software and continues to use the forks of their software I will say that they were the most helpful, honest, principled and technically versed cohort in bitcoin. The broader samourai community is still the tightest group of bitcoiners holding the privacy torch offering guidance and help to anyone who asks an =onest question. The complete stack from node to wallet, the development of privacy tools and educational material is unrivaled.

I encourage you to even try Ashigaru in test net just to see the stack. (honestly some of which comes as close to softwar implimentations as I could recognize like auth47)

They are truth tellers. Many can't handle or want to be told the truth about how a public blockchain reveals information about people and the societal implications. I learned more about bitcoin from samourai community than any other group.

They are much more true to core bitcoin values like separating the control of money from the state. In this case they did in fact have a grand legal loophole. They were non custodial. They did not participate in illegal activity. It is legal. The state just doesn't like it. They thought they would get a chance to make the legal and logical case if ever challenged. That didn't happen.

I personally find the lack of sympathy you describe or the "they got what they deserve" type of arguement hard to square. Is brash freedom of speech such a crime?

If they were silent and operated in the dark wouldn't that also be used against them like rogue black market types?

I look at this from an Elizabeth Warren anti crypto army Russian fear mongering capital controls sdny fever that wanted some examples and sneak precedent over the line.

I have been a supporter from the start. Seeing the podcast push is an effort to stay free. I believe it is imortant to foster a community that supports those that are persecuted for the things we find value in.