Bitcoin Is a Weapon for Free Speech in the Face of Government and Corporate Censorship

The latest skirmishes in the bruising trade war between the U.S. and China have led to the unlikely politicization of the NBA. But how did the views of a basketball executive become such a political football? And what does China’s ideological commitment to censorship say about the value of free speech and of free speech … Read more

Turkey Throws Another Wrench Into the USD’s Works and Joins Russian Swift

The dominance of the U.S. dollar as the global reserve currency is being robustly challenged on all fronts. Other geopolitical powers and smaller but important players are unwilling to accept the political influence Washington exerts through its fiat money. And in times of trade wars, sanctions, and even tensions between allies, the push to dethrone … Read more

Why the Maximalist Narrative of Just Hodl and Wait Is Unsustainable

It’s encountered all over the crypto space these days — the idea that the only correct way to “Bitcoin” is to hold and not spend, and to desperately lash out on crypto Twitter at anyone who thinks differently. But what ever happened to Satoshi’s original call for an “electronic payment system based on cryptographic proof … Read more

No Victim, No Crime: How the Darknet Drug War Is Ruining Young Lives

There aren’t many areas of modern society unaffected by the draconian war on drugs, and non-violent crypto exchange is no exception. Two San Diego men in their twenties reportedly pleaded guilty on Monday to charges of money laundering conspiracy, for selling cannabis on the darknet for bitcoin and operating an unlicensed crypto exchange service. The … Read more

Bitcoin Is a Viable Way to Remove the State From Your Life

The last decade has seen central banks print trillions of dollars, governments grown much larger, wars continue with no end, and ordinary citizens taxed even more. Thankfully there are individuals and small pockets of people all around the world who believe something is wrong. Many of these people have a plan to help end the … Read more

Without Disobedience, Bitcoin Is No Better Than Gold

With the launch of Bakkt’s bitcoin futures market and Binance’s revamped U.S. exchange, there’s been a lot of talk in the space about institutionalization and traditional money flowing into crypto. It’s almost as if some believe that Bitcoin can’t scale as a purely peer-to-peer electronic cash system and that third parties and regulators must be … Read more

McAfee Hints Institutional Money Won’t Bring Bitcoin Revolution

In a tweet posted Monday, September 23, Libertarian presidential candidate and crypto rebel John McAfee wrote: “BAKKT goes live today. It is institutionalized and monitored … if you are “initiated” into crypto, then you certainly won’t use it and will spend time luring the new users into the Unlimited Crypto World.” The maverick anti-politician raises … Read more

Iran Is Being Targeted for Economic Independence, Not Terrorism

New, unprecedented economic sanctions have been imposed on Iran’s central bank after blame for a September 14 oil field attack was pinned on the nation by U.S. leaders. The sanctions blacklist the Iranian central bank and sovereign wealth fund, further severing the country’s already tenuous ties to the global market. With soldiers and weapons “of … Read more

Taxation Isn’t Just Theft – It’s Bad for Crypto Adoption

Crypto awareness is reaching levels almost unimaginable just years ago, with telecommunications giants, big banks, mainstream media, and even professional sports teams now discussing and flouting digital assets. AT&T now allows customers to pay their phone bills in bitcoin, Japanese SMS giant Line is adding an FSA-approved crypto exchange to its hugely popular chat app, … Read more

Nature Abhors a Vacuum: Why Trump’s Proposed Negative Rates Bode Well for Bitcoin

In a recent tweet, U.S. president Donald Trump delved into an explosive, all-caps-loaded mini-rant about the necessity of getting “interest rates down to ZERO, or less.” The bombastic politician stressed the need for America to refinance its debt, trailing off with some superficially conservative speak about the U.S. and its “great currency, power, and balance … Read more