Fiat Lite vs. Freedom Maximalist: The Two Types of Bitcoiner

As regulation continues growing exponentially for cryptocurrencies worldwide, a chasm is yawning ever deeper between supporters. On the one hand, many yearn for massive adoption and clear regulations so they can get on with their trading, and get on with their lives – not to mention the lucrative value gains attendant to such ubiquity. This … Read more

The Most Important Aspect of Bitcoin Is the Separation of Money and State

Many cryptocurrency supporters believe the technology allows for the separation of money and state in a manner that’s never been seen before. Governments inflict two forms of robbery against nonviolent citizens by forcing them to pay taxes while also stealing from them silently through inflation. Now there’s a wide array of digital currencies competing in … Read more

IRS Revoking Passports Shows How Government Erodes Everything We Hold Dear

If you have outstanding tax debt, the IRS may now want to take your passport. For U.S. crypto holders still waiting on promised IRS guidelines for filing — especially those overseas who may have missed these warning memos — the over 400,000 agency notifications issued since February last year are troubling. This kind of behavior … Read more

Can the Fed Kill Bitcoin? Navigating the Chokepoints of Tax Law and KYC

Taxes. The one word that can kill any buzz in seconds flat. Whether you’re a libertarian ranting about how taxation is theft or one of those fabled creatures who is actually happy to file them as their so-called civic duty, one fact remains: those who don’t give the government a bite — or make mistakes … Read more

From Spartacus to Satoshi: A Brief History of Economic Rebellion

Government dominance of human beings via slavery and violent economic oppression is as old as government itself. For thousands and thousands of years kings and rulers, usually held to be “appointed by God,” have used free, non-violent individuals as their tax farm livestock to exploit for economic gain and political power. Without individuals with the … Read more

From Booze to Bitcoin Mining – Why Violent Prohibition Is Always Harmful

Stories continue to emerge about newly discovered illegal mining operations being busted by state and corporate authorities. Just last week Iranian media reported the seizure of 177 Bitcoin mining units worth over $270,000 being smuggled via truck in the Arak region. On July 31, Russia’s Kraskom power company reported illegal siphoning of power from municipal … Read more

The Modern Era of Free Range Slaves: How Bitcoin Breaks the Mold

In a string of recent Tweets, 2020 Libertarian presidential candidate and fugitive from the law John McAfee has been talking about slavery. Urging people to “wake up” and assuring them that neither compliance with the status quo, nor stacks of riches, can set them free. Indeed, when the current state of the world is examined … Read more

Reddit Roasts the IRS: Have America’s Tax Collectors ‘Gone Crypto Fishing’?

In a juicy little chunk of news from the Redditsphere, a user claiming to be a former IRS employee has called the agency’s new crypto compliance letters “broad and very error-prone fishing expeditions.” The throwaway account details the “really bad data” used by the agency, saying they’re operating mostly from guesswork, casting broad nets and … Read more

Crypto Is Part of Free Speech, and Free Speech Is Everything

On July 23, U.S. Attorney General William Barr gave a speech demanding big players in the tech industry work with government agencies in providing backdoor entry points for encrypted devices and software. Per his reasoning, certain devices and messaging services pose a safety threat by providing a secure, third-party-inaccessible area where crime can rapidly proliferate. … Read more

Is Bitcoin Money? Revisiting Mises’ Regression Theorem

Over 100 years after the publication of Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises’ “The Theory of Money and Credit,” the ideas outlined therein are still sparking hot debate. Namely, what is known as Mises’ Regression Theorem, which claims that in order for something to be money in the most proper sense, it must be traceable to … Read more