CPB director: The Netherlands must ban Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
netherlandsnewslive.com
CPB director: The Netherlands must ban Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
1–10 of 210 posts
Re: CPB director: The Netherlands must ban Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
#2The reason we have to go to the trouble of making cryptocurrencies is that busybodies like this guy are endlessly trying to reduce our freedom. They're not trying to look out for people; they're trying to protect their ability to print money and steal. In crypto parlance, they want to remain the VIPs that have centralized special privileged access to create tokens, and force usage thereof. But now we have the technology to enforce currency issuance by immutable programs. That's a better way, because programs are very strong exactly where humans are very weak.
Re: CPB director: The Netherlands must ban Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
#3I'm curious what's going to be left when the dust settles, probably in about 5 years.
After all, since we're talking about the Netherlands, tulip bulbs are still around but most people don't care about them anymore.
Re: CPB director: The Netherlands must ban Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
#4Everyone needs to ban Bitcoin... and likely other cryptocurrencies. Not only are they by far the biggest enablers of ransomware (which we're supposedly taking seriously now), but Bitcoin emissions alone could push global warming above 2°C. [1] Bitcoin already consumes 0.55% of energy produced globally. [2]
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0321-8
[2] https://hbr.org/2021/05/how-much-energy-does-bitcoin-actuall...
Re: CPB director: The Netherlands must ban Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
#5The HN headline is a bit alarmist. The headline I see is "CPB director: The Netherlands must ban bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies".
This is the opinion of the CPB director in a letter, so it's not binding in any way.
> A cryptocurrency crash is inevitable, he says. That is why the Netherlands must intervene.
Should the government be banning any speculative investment that appears to be in a bubble?
Re: CPB director: The Netherlands must ban Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
#6Everyone needs to ban Bitcoin... and likely other cryptocurrencies. Not only are they by far the biggest enablers of ransomware (which we're supposedly taking seriously now), but Bitcoin emissions alone could push global warming above 2°C. [1] Bitcoin already consumes 0.55% of energy produced globally. [2] [1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-018-0321-8 [2] https://hbr.org/2021/05/how-much-energy-does-bitcoin-a…
We need to ban all proof-of-work and generally all resource intensive cryptocurrencies.
Re: CPB director: The Netherlands must ban Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
#7[deleted]
Re: CPB director: The Netherlands must ban Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
#8Why should others decide if I can run useless hashing functions on my computer? Price the electricity accordingly, and make PoW impossible.
Cryptocurrency is no the enabler of ransomware. Ransomware was prevalent before cryptocurrencies. The real enablers of ransomware are the countries that shelter the R10 groups, raking in millions.
There's a reason some ransomware doesn't run when your system has a Russian language keyboard, and it's not because they know Russians never pay ransom...
Re: CPB director: The Netherlands must ban Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
#9The HN headline is a bit alarmist. The headline I see is "CPB director: The Netherlands must ban bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies". This is the opinion of the CPB director in a letter, so it's not binding in any way. > A cryptocurrency crash is inevitable, he says. That is why the Netherlands must intervene. Should the government be banning any speculative investment that appears to be in a bubble?
Well, pyramid games are routinely banned. There are good arguments to be made that Bitcoin is a pyramid game much more than a "asset class in a bubble".
Re: CPB director: The Netherlands must ban Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies
#10The reason we have to go to the trouble of making cryptocurrencies is that busybodies like this guy are endlessly trying to reduce our freedom. They're not trying to look out for people; they're trying to protect their ability to print money and steal. In crypto parlance, they want to remain the VIPs that have centralized special privileged access to create tokens, and force usage thereof. But now we have the technol…
Just to be clear, by "ability to print money and steal" you mean having a central bank and levying taxes? You're making a moral argument against the idea of government controlled currency in general, yes?
Can you clarify why you think controlled currencies are morally bad and how cryptocurrencies are better? I'd love to hear a less abstract argument than "more freedom".
EDIT: I assume downvotes mean there are people who like cryptocurrencies and agree with the parent. Maybe some of those could answer my question? "Freedom" is a loaded term with conflicting definitions and ideas like "taxation is theft" don't stand in isolation because they imply logical conclusions that most people prefer not to make explicit.