Keep calm and HODL #Bitcoin.
Everyone seems to be overreacting to the Samourai arrests, the FBI PSA, and Phoenix leaving the US. Here's my attempt to break it down.
Samourai
You have to unpack all of the different elements. Could this be a state attack on self-custody and privacy? Maybe. Probably not.
There are a few components here that need to be evaluated on their own.
1⃣ Samourai was a self-custodial wallet
2⃣ Samourai was a mixer
3⃣ Samourai was providing normal people with privacy
4⃣ Samourai were knowingly marketing the service to criminals and flaunting that fact
Reading the charges, it seems like #4 is pretty cut and dry for this case. Their getting arrested for #4, doesn't automatically mean #1, #2, #3 are under siege as well. If Samourai was a taco stand laundering money and bragging about it, I'm sure they would be taken down too.
They may be accused of running a money transmitter now, but that may or may not stick. We'll find out in the trial.
All that said, we should always be vigilant to attempts to erode privacy and the ability to self-custody. It just does not seem that this fight is *that* fight.
FBI PSA
Seems pretty normal that the FBI would advise people to use compliant services, and the entire announcement seems to revolve around potential disruptions due to Samourai being taken down, and potentially others in the future. Given they took action, they have to post some bulletin about it.
Remember that when people lose funds or have funds stolen from them, they do go to the FBI for help. From their point of view, the best thing for people to do is use compliant services where they can potentially help.
The announcement concludes saying that services that purposely break the law will be investigated - so again we go back to #4 above. This is nothing new, and self-custody is not being criminalized.
Phoenix Leaving
As nostr:npub1sg6plzptd64u62a878hep2kev88swjh3tw00gjsfl8f237lmu63q0uf63m said, it's feels completely unnecessary. Phoenix obviously is not a MSB and they are not doing anything illegal. In my view, their exit from the US app stores is a complete overreaction.
Keep Calm
Could "they" come after wallets, developers, mixers, nodes, LSPs, sidechains, eCash, VPNs, encryption, etc? It's totally possible. But if you're not breaking the law, you have nothing to worry about.
To my knowledge, there is still rule of law in the US, property rights are still protected, and privacy is enshrined in the Bill of Rights (nostr:npub1trr5r2nrpsk6xkjk5a7p6pfcryyt6yzsflwjmz6r7uj7lfkjxxtq78hdpu).
It would be very difficult to change the law or stretch it to incriminate these things because it's all just information and software, which is speech. Some will try. But as they are trying, #Bitcoin is becoming more and more mainstream and integral to the world's financial system.
#Bitcoin is freedom technology and it will continue on.
Go outside this weekend and think about why you're here.
> To my knowledge, there is still rule of law in the US, property rights are still protected, and privacy is enshrined in the Bill of Rights
What use is the bill of rights or the constitution if the Fed can fuck your life before you can contest it.... or if you can't afford to contest it. The fed act first, screw people over and it can take years to win against them - your documents are just that, archaic pieces of paper which are used as political talking points.
Not long to go now ....#halving
Daniel is actually pretty sensible with a focus on human flourishing and long term viability.
Well we know c02 is a greenhouse gas. That’s basic physics and chemistry. The debate appears to be 1) the extent to what humans cause it 2) how optimal or otherwise an increase in temp is and 3) to what extent c02 effects temp. There’s nothing wrong with fact based debate.
Bitcoiners should not play along with the climatards description of reality. It is not a viable path. #ClimateScam #ClimateEmergency
Follow nostr:npub1cj8znuztfqkvq89pl8hceph0svvvqk0qay6nydgk9uyq7fhpfsgsqwrz4u on Rumble by the way!
He’s not a climatetard … far from it.
I just used a BTCPAY server and then coded the integration with the platform i use myself - gave up waiting for others to do it for me.
and there are devs who do charge for a product, and a ton of people who do pay. It seems we have many examples of part of your solution working just fine.
But then we have devs who create things which aren't immediately commercialize'able who benefit from nostr:npub10pensatlcfwktnvjjw2dtem38n6rvw8g6fv73h84cuacxn4c28eqyfn34f existence, right ? i feel like as i mentioned, this is a layer of extra money which handles situations which otherwise wouldn't get handled.
Is this thread created based on a specific situation you've identified or a general concern ?
I genuinely don't get your point - nostr:npub10pensatlcfwktnvjjw2dtem38n6rvw8g6fv73h84cuacxn4c28eqyfn34f exist, they are helping fund people. Even if there is bias, they are still funding people who otherwise wouldn't have received the same funding. They don't prevent other people getting funding so it seems to be they provide a additional benefit as an organization.
All your points are valid, but this isn't a donation corruption style scenario - it's an organization which handles donations for people who probably otherwise couldn't be fked with the effort of selecting targets for their money.
What do you propose as a solution? I feel like funding is an unsolved problem in the open source space.
This is a scary precedent.
The parents of a kid who shot up a school in Michigan killing 4 people, have both been imprisoned for a minimum of 10 years with the father receiving a life sentence. https://v.nostr.build/YgErq.mp4
Unsecured gun at home with a minor. Minor has mental health issues. Parents had a part in this for sure.
nostr:npub12rv5lskctqxxs2c8rf2zlzc7xx3qpvzs3w4etgemauy9thegr43sf485vg did you happen to have a good doco primer on cashu ... technically experienced person but no exporesure to Cachu so far.
At least we agree on saylor. He’s just a guy with a ton of money buying bitcoin with debt. I don’t get what the fuss is about. He isn’t a bitcoiner.
There we go. Your true colours emerge. You’re a clown magoo. Anyone listening to you is a clown.
“Saying it happened” … as I said. You have zero respect for facts and evidence. You has zero consideration for the other side of the event at the time. I remember your rabid evidence less persecution at the time.
And evidence is not one side saying something.
You need proof ie evidence.