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Using Silk Road

gwern.net

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Re: Using Silk Road

#81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lesswrong is a weird place. I can read an awesome, insightful article one moment, then something completely bat-shit insane the next.

Example of batsheet?

A good example of LW going off the deep end is "Roko's basilisk" and Yudkowsky's response

http://kruel.co/2013/01/12/rokos-basilisk-everything-you-nee...

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Roko%27s_basilisk

Re: Using Silk Road

#82
post #74

I think the easiest attack on SR would not be one of the attacks mentioned in the article (although similar to their second attack, but focused on legal implications instead of fraud), but rather: a. Law enforcement creates a large number of vendor and customer accounts. Due to the pseudonymity, they can create as many as they like and they can't be linked (they may need to create them over time to avoid making the p…

That's a pretty nice playbook, but it fails for the reason every attack against SR fails: It doesn't get you the vendors, and they're the only big fish there to catch. At best, you can spend time and money just treading water to keep them in check, but it will never shut them down.

Re: Using Silk Road

#83
post #17

(throwaway account) I've spent over $50,000 USD on SR in the past year, and I'm happy to answer any questions people have about the site or community.

I've heard about the site and am casually curious, but how does the obvious security hole of eventually having a product sent to a specific real world address work out in practice? What is the genearl method for anonymizing this.... I'm sure it's a pretty basic question, but since you're here and all...

I have not used the site either, but from what I've read, the best idea is to use the name of a previous tenant, and to stick with domestic. If the parcel is sent via USPS First-Class or Priority, it cannot be searched without a warrant.

Re: Using Silk Road

#84
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Option #1 : I am aware many exchanges/markets do 'bitcoin mixing' to get around this, but the local authority could just as easily subpoena/force someone like mtgox into giving up the info of where the coins are going. As always, the folks who cant hide behind tor and want to appear legit are going to be weakest. (mtgox/bitpay/coinbase/etc..) - Those are the companies that will be 'compelled' to comply if it gets to that point.

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Option #2: Inspect the packages you receive for fingerprints. You will likely find a postal workers prints and be able to continually track it back to the sourced post office. Then you just correlate the time the package was likely sent and watch security footage, looking for something that matches the shape/look of your package.

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Also- Please dont take the above post too seriously. I have mostly no idea what I am talking about when it comes to bitcoin.

Re: Using Silk Road

#85
post #76
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a certain point where their bandwidth will exceed the noise threshold and it will be trivial to trace the location of their servers and of their offices, tor or no tor. And if they are simultaneously the subject of renewed enforcement interest... """ Night City was like a deranged experiment in social Darwinism, designed by a bored researcher who kept one thumb permanently on the fast-forward button. Stop hu…

> and it will be trivial to trace the location of their servers and of their offices You're very naive if you think that SilkRoad is not running on servers rented anonymously with bitcoins, in a country outside of US/European jurisdiction.

Actually I sort of assume that they are running the servers in a jurisdiction that is less than cooperative with US authorities. But at some point that becomes immaterial. If the operators are ID'd that's when they get in difficulties.

If they are smart, they have multiple "real" identities set up to be ID'd first, and a plan to sterilize, evac and start over when the cover is blown.

But they have accomplished something that few people ever get to do. Pioneer a new kind of crime.

Re: Using Silk Road

#86
post #17

(throwaway account) I've spent over $50,000 USD on SR in the past year, and I'm happy to answer any questions people have about the site or community.

It seems that SR doesn't solve the major problem for buyers: you have to name a postal address and that address will be printed on a package containing illicit goods. Any bad experiences with customs or have you been using in-country sellers exclusively? Any tricks to obscure your real address? (Since these have mostly been answered below already: do you stick to a fixed group of sellers or go by price?)

I assume some people rent a postal box under a fake ID.

Re: Using Silk Road

#87

. Option #1 : I am aware many exchanges/markets do 'bitcoin mixing' to get around this, but the local authority could just as easily subpoena/force someone like mtgox into giving up the info of where the coins are going. As always, the folks who cant hide behind tor and want to appear legit are going to be weakest. (mtgox/bitpay/coinbase/etc..) - Those are the companies that will be 'compelled' to comply if it gets t…

> I am aware many exchanges/markets do 'bitcoin mixing' to get around this, but the local authority could just as easily subpoena/force someone like mtgox into giving up the info of where the coins are going.

The coins are mixed _before_ they arrive to mtgox or some exchange, I would guess.

> Even if you mix the coins a few times through a few sites, its still going to be the best way to find them.

Any arguments here? The authorities would need information from every web site that has been involved with the transfer. The mixers can reside in the tor network, so it is impossible to get the connecting information.

Re: Using Silk Road

#88

. Option #1 : I am aware many exchanges/markets do 'bitcoin mixing' to get around this, but the local authority could just as easily subpoena/force someone like mtgox into giving up the info of where the coins are going. As always, the folks who cant hide behind tor and want to appear legit are going to be weakest. (mtgox/bitpay/coinbase/etc..) - Those are the companies that will be 'compelled' to comply if it gets t…

No, you can't. The coins are mixed before they get to mtgox. Mtgox doesn't know where they came from.

In fact, you don't even need to use mtgox. Mtgox is just where you swap bitcoins for cash. If I sold drugs, it would be smart to just keep the money in bitcoins.

And you can also exchange money for bitcoins with an anonymous physical person in your city. Just go to localbitcoins.com, find someone near you with one or the other, and swap with them.

Re: Using Silk Road

#89
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of my favorite sites. If you aren't familiar with it already, it will probably lead you to lesswrong.com. Also worth a good amount of time input.

Lesswrong is a weird place. I can read an awesome, insightful article one moment, then something completely bat-shit insane the next.

The problem with LW is that the old-timer's confidence is pegged at 100% for non-controversial stuff (like Bayes' Theorem) and highly controversial stuff (like the inevitability of unfriendly AI). It's essentially a cult of personality around Eliezer Yudkowsky, with little dissent.

They use the non-controversial value-add stuff to draw new members into the cult. Eliezer has stated in interviews that the most important thing you can do is help him on his research if you can, and otherwise to make as much money as possible to give to his research, save a bit for your living expense. Now he has dozens of people that agree with him completely, a few hundred that mostly agree with him, and thousands that think he's a pretty swell guy and don't realize the shady depths of the philosophy he's pushing.

Re: Using Silk Road

#90
post #88

. Option #1 : I am aware many exchanges/markets do 'bitcoin mixing' to get around this, but the local authority could just as easily subpoena/force someone like mtgox into giving up the info of where the coins are going. As always, the folks who cant hide behind tor and want to appear legit are going to be weakest. (mtgox/bitpay/coinbase/etc..) - Those are the companies that will be 'compelled' to comply if it gets t…

No, you can't. The coins are mixed before they get to mtgox. Mtgox doesn't know where they came from. In fact, you don't even need to use mtgox. Mtgox is just where you swap bitcoins for cash. If I sold drugs, it would be smart to just keep the money in bitcoins. And you can also exchange money for bitcoins with an anonymous physical person in your city. Just go to localbitcoins.com, find someone near you with one or…

How are the coins mixed before exactly?

Also, I think its extremely impractical to think that a volume drug dealer is going to do physical exchanges. Even if they did opt for that route- Track the guy he did the exchanges with, then beat him with a wrench to find out who he bought from.

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