Bitcoin Forum

These days, a lot of countries are actually being more accepting of bitcoin than they ever were before. I feel that it’s more likely for a country to accept bitcoin now than to ban them. But hypothetically your country bans bitcoin, will you still use bitcoin?

I asked this question to myself then realized that using bitcoin even without the approval of the government is exactly what bitcoin is for. I will only be realizing bitcoin’s full potential, am I not? This is what bitcoin’s true purpose is. Should you be scared to use bitcoin to its fullest extent?

If someone kept using bitcoin despite a ban, will he be considered brave? Or will he be considered suicidal? Especially if the government imposes strict bans that could lead you to being jailed simply for using bitcoin.

A lot depends on the individual who is using Bitcoin. Also it depends on how a government is treating the ban. Does it have a punitive clause into it or not. So it's situational.

Like in North Korea I don't think any individual will be brave enough to use something that is banned. But in many other countries where no punitive measures are taken, people will be using it unless they get caught for financial misconduct or by the tax authorities.

What's the purpose of Bitcoin since it was created?
To be decentralized means it’s designed to operate without government approval or third-party involvement.

As long as you can remain decentralized, even if Bitcoin is banned in your country, you are free to use it.
However, remember not to mix centralized and decentralized methods of using Bitcoin, doing so may lead to being caught and facing penalties, depending on how strictly that law is enforced.

Being brave?
It's a wise decision to improve your privacy.

If it has come to the point that someone can be jailed for using Bitcoin, then that country or place really considers Bitcoin illegal. Therefore, those people there using Bitcoin or any crypto are brave lol. Regardless of the reason why these people still use bitcoin despite it being illegal there, they have no choice but to comply with and respect their law.

Advantages and benefits of Bitcoin are disregarded if it's tagged as illegal.

Yeah, Bitcoin was created to give people freedom to use money without restrictions. But we also have the responsibility to respect the law of our country. If you have good means of evading this ban without being caught it could be counted as been smart. But I don't think someone should risk a jail term because of using Bitcoin illegally. There could be other means of bypassing this restriction like moving to a neighboring Bitcoin-friendly country doing your transaction and returning to your country. A trusted relative or friend in another country could help you trade your coin and transfer fiat to you.  However, the government cannot stop me from hodling Bitcoin since I can successfully keep them hidden in non-custodian wallets.    

I will, once i know about the way to engaged in its privacy and avoid anything that could lead to me being traced, i will ensure not to connect to the centralized exchanges for p2p because they will request for my KYC, instead i will make use of a decentralized exchange, secondly, am going to use a non custodial wallet, which no one can be able to challenge me of that on my device, lastly, i will ensure that i do not give anyone an impression of being int bitcoin, once they have no trace, i cant be caught, while i make use of forum like this and engaged with other members for p2p as well as escrow if i want to avoid all the exchanges.

What is the use of Bitcoin if we are going to adhere strictly to these bans? In the past, many countries have banned Bitcoin, but Bitcoin never ceased to exist. That is the beauty of decentralization.

It depends on you as an individual to decide if you want to obey the government or carry on with Bitcoin transactions. If you are not brave enough to carry on with Bitcoin transactions, it is fine. But the government does not have what it takes to stop the Bitcoin network from functioning. Bitcoiners can, however, bypass these restrictions and carry out transactions between themselves secretly without the government finding out. Only those who are careless enough to expose their identity will be used as scapegoats.

It was when Iran started banning trading and possession back in... 2017? Around the ATH time. That was when Iranians really picked up on Bitcoin! Exchanges banned? Banking links banned? That's when people started using P2P networks and own wallets. The way Bitcoin is supposed to work =)

Even ignoring all that, bans don't typically carry any danger for the individual. It's easier to find out which countries "ban" Bitcoin -- much more difficult to find actual enforcement. Especially for individuals not doing commercial (trading) activities.

Bitcoin has a magic power to attract many people and convince them to use Bitcoin blockchain and purchase bitcoin for their investment portfolio. The bullish case for Bitcoin (https://vijayboyapati.medium.com/the-bullish-case-for-bitcoin-6ecc8bdecc1) is an insightful book for current Bitcoin investors and outsiders who want to explore more about Bitcoin and possible bullish scenarios in the future.

It has magic technical traits so that people can use Bitcoin blockchain even their governments dislike it, or ban it. Basically governments can not know that you are using Bitcoin blockchain or having bitcoin in your non custodial wallets. Remember that non custodial wallets are vital to defend your privacy and anonymity and if you use custodial wallets on centralized platforms with KYC, governments know who you are and how many bitcoins you have in those accounts.

Although YES, Bitcoin is most commonly used, Bitcoin has not yet been legalized in my country. Maybe you may be surprised to hear that because the owners of the allowed banks in my state advised Bitcoin to accept. But and I don't understand, why? The government did not legalize it. They also met with the government three times in a row, seeking permission to legalize Bitcoin but could not succeed.


If you use Bitcoin, the government will not take any action. Only you need to maintain privacy. Since using Bitcoin is open and profitable for all, I have saved Bitcoin to do something good in my future. I think it's the right decision for me. Yet I am always in a lot of fear.


Since Bitcoin is not valid yet in my state and I'm always using Bitcoin and investing Bitcoin. That's why I will never say, it's a lot of courage. Because once it is revealed that I am using Bitcoin, all my bitcoins will be confiscated. And because of this crime I may have to go to jail Or may have to suffer strict punishment. That's why I always be very careful and secretly dealt with Bitcoin

If you came to Bitcoin for the ideals that are behind the vision of satoshi, then of course you would use it. Bad rules that are made by corrupt governments should be ignored. That is your duty. I use Bitcoin regardless of its status. Just make sure not to get caught.  :D

Corruption, that is why. People often confuse corruption thinking that it is only about money and bribery but often it is about control and power.

Bitcoin is all about freedom and better way of life for many like me even still many things are not on track but enjoying good benefits of life thanks to Bitcoin which is banned but usable in my country, and I am able to bring some positive which can turn big as well.
Corruption is always with developing countries because they are having enough sources but due to bad governance and corruption things are never been in reach of common peoples which can bring changes in society I really love concept and way of working bitcoin thanks to Satoshi for giving us this chance of change.
In last few weeks few good and positive media reports are coming for Bitcoin and crypto which are giving pleasure but still its never been easy to have these things in reach with corrupt peoples around you.

You are wrong, it has nothing to do with developing countries. Corruption is widespread in most of the developed countries too, USA, Canada, EU countries and so on. Don't blame the developing countries for bad governance when even the developed countries have bad governance. Even the EU is trying to find sneaky ways to prevent Bitcoin and instead expand control over its citizens.

Currently more than before, we can say that Bitcoin has gained some kind of acceptance, even if not from every government. On the topic of investment in Bitcoin, some investors have ignored the government in their countries and their opinions on Bitcoin and have gone ahead to keep investing in Bitcoin even though the government has strict rules concerning it. For these persons, as long as the penalty is not death, they do not mind risking it.

If you are in a country that has strict rules concerning Bitcoin, rules that you know you cannot deal with, it is still okay to seek relocation if you have the means to do so. Move to a country with better or more friendly rules.

Yes, there are many countries where Bitcoin is banned, but the people of those countries are still using Bitcoin. They know that it is illegal, but they are still using it, so we respect them. I think if Bitcoin is legalized in all those countries, their military power will improve. I think in all the countries where Bitcoin has been declared illegal, it is still used but secretly.

If you are going to use BTC when a ban is in effect in your country, then you have to do everything p2p. No centralized exchanges, no kyc services, etc. If you can do that, then you would be able to use BTC even in such difficult circumstance.

Personally, i would still use BTC in that way, but it depends on the kind of ban, if there is a danger of prison time for anyone caught using BTC, then that changes the dynamics, and i may simply just hold the BTC's i have and think about what i am going to do next.

Agreed.

Eventually, such regulations are usually off in some years to come, but everything centralized = danger for those willing to still do business in BTC regardless of the ban or not.

In many countries way of corruption is different especially in developing countries where common peoples have no easy access to justice and their lives are not easy like developed countries where things are working much better.
Developed countries are also working on banning Bitcoin, but it's not easy with they also needed to be done some suitable replacement for this which helps their peoples because they always work for their people's development.
Here Peoples those are having power always thinks about themselves and also have all laws and rules into their favor even they are using bitcoin easily but not allowing peoples which is double standard by them here Bitcoin can do good work for peoples, but they needed good awareness about this.

It is not worth it economically to chase down Bitcoin users. They don't do any real harm, and if they want to hide their usage they can do it in a way that will cost governments a lot of money to discover individual users. Because of that even if it is illegal in most cases you are safe when you use it reasonably.

Using Bitcoin in the actual way of using it does not involve any exchanges or KYC services. Using Bitcoin does not mean selling it or trading on a CEX. You can easily avoid all those services without any problem.

Corruption in developed countries is much worse mate, you are gravely mistaken thinking that it is not. It is just that the corruption in developed countries is more smart in how it operates, that is the main difference.

I live in a country where use of Bitcoin and crypto is still illegal. Their is option to convert crypto through binance p2p trading but it's risky because if law enforcement agencies caught you doing this, you will end up in jail. This ban also provide an advantage that since we can't spend our Bitcoins, we accumulate and hold them for long term. I do convert some of Bitcoins by doing a p2p transaction with my friend without leaving any footprint of this transaction, I send Bitcoin to my friend and receive fiat money in cash only.

Countries like North Korea are very strict with their laws especially does related to finance. It is really challenging for them been that they  are in  an authoritarian regimes, as such  using something like Bitcoin, which represents decentralization and financial autonomy, can be seen as a serious offense not just a legal violation but even a political one.

This is where bravery and smartness plays out. It will be useless being brave to use a commodity that is banned without knowing how to save them without being caught or traced.

These countries are very rare and for the general rule are not worth talking about. Most countries where Bitcoin is or could be made illegal are not strict or dangerous like that to their own population.

People break all kinds of laws for stupid reasons all the time. Breaking a law to use Bitcoin is doing the right thing for the right reasons, pretty brave.

Depend on the risk and reward.

I live in a country where Bitcoin is legal, so I have no hesitation to learn and value the risk-reward. If I were live in country where Bitcoin is illegal, I might not value the risk-reward since I will exclude it from the beginning.

With my current knowledge, I will keep invest in Bitcoin even my country ban it, I will find the possible way to make me undetected.

It would heavily depend upon the implementation and execution of that law in my country on how stringent they would be. Additionally, if the penalty of such act composes of only civil liability (only monetary compensation and damages), then I would most likely still use BTC for my investments.


The goal of BTC is not to remove any form of government control over its citizens- but more of the freedom of payment in our day-to-day transactions. Satoshi envisioned BTC to be the currency used in order to prevent the usage of any payment intermediaries in taking part in our financial affairs.


If the government is strict with the execution of their law regarding the total ban of both the usage and ownership of BTC, then we have no choice but to comply. With rules follow penalties that can be both civil and criminal.

There are many purposes why Bitcoin exists, and if the government bans Bitcoin, it will be difficult to buy or sell Bitcoin, especially on exchanges, because all of the exchanges won't be functioning in the country. Nobody would want to accept Bitcoin for their business.

 Since it is like this, there is nothing you can do about it because you can't challenge the government to use Bitcoin by all means. If you already have some Bitcoin with you, it is an opportunity to hodl Bitcoin because the government ban won't last for a long time. If there is any way to get Bitcoin without falling into the government's trap, get more Bitcoin and hodl.

Of course, there won't be a choice if your country strictly bans Bitcoin, and if you already own Bitcoin, you have no choice but to hold onto it until your government changes its mind, but that could take a very long time due to the uncertainty.
Alternatively, if you already own Bitcoin, you could fly to another Bitcoin-friendly country and exchange your Bitcoin for cash while you're there. And that's only if your country has very strict and harsh laws, as such strict laws carry the risk of severe penalties, meaning anything related to buying or selling digital currencies or Bitcoin would be impossible because all exchanges would be afraid.

The reward of Bitcoin is infinitely more valuable than things that you can measure monetarily. The risk/reward ratio is very favorable because of that. However, it takes an advanced mind to understand and value the freedoms that Bitcoin provides. Bitcoin is the only thing in the whole universe that provides this for humans. If you don't value these things accurately, then of course the ratio is not gonna be favorable to you.

Bitcoin is illegal in my country, but all the young people are using it. No matter how many restrictions there are, no native looks back now. It can be used in many secure ways, and I myself am using it securely. There is nothing to be done. The system is as strict as it is; we have to follow it strictly. We have to keep pace with how the modern world moves forward.

I agree with those who say that it is a personal choice. Most people would be willing to take the risk and continue using bitcoin until some punitive measures are taken by the governments.

Of course completely banning something is difficult and most of the times people find work arounds to get over the bans. Because bitcoin is decentralized it is even more tough to actually "ban".

Still I hope in future governments understand the problem and find a middle ground.

I don't think there is anything my government will do that will stop me from using Bitcoin. If I stop using Bitcoin, life will become boring and the future uncertain because I have future plans for Bitcoin. I will only try my best to be discreet with my Bitcoin to ensure I also protect myself from any form of attack from the government.

Anyone that becomes the president of my country have only four years or eight years to be in charge, if he comes with policy or ban, the next person coming will be different so I will carefully endure buying and holding in secrete.

In countries with cryptocurrency restrictions, this is indeed a good way to hold BTC.

This is hypothetical of-course therefore I think common sense should be applied here. If you are in a country where you have been explicitly informed by the leaders that buying, selling and trading Bitcoin is illegal then it makes no sense for you to break the law. You should never commit any crime, it is always best to stay away from criminal activity.

We just need to remember to not to do P2P through the CEXes and such, and it's going to be alright probably ;)

it's not about being brave or not, it's about his freedom to choose what’s best for him, and i don’t think there’s anything wrong with that as long as he doesn’t harm anyone. however, even if there are strict rules regarding bitcoin usage, he should also be smart enough to avoid government monitoring by continuing to use vpn and p2p when making transactions. that should be safe for him.

You are free to use it if you want. Bitcoin doesnt care about governments or bans. But, come on. You are not some rebel visionary "unlocking Bitcoins true potential" or whatever. You are just romanticizing a piece of tech that, frankly, doesnt care about your freedom-fighter fantasies. Bitcoins main purpose? Being a decentralized currency. Thats it. Not a magical banner for overthrowing The Man.

You have to ask yourself: whats the endgame here - street cred on Reddit or Bitcointalk? Seriously, your situation is the only thing that should be on your mind. Getting thrown in jail for a few days or paying a fine? Maybe you think you can handle that. But what if its worse?

Has the government ever successfully banned bitcoin completely? I believe people still look for means to still use bitcoin despite the ban. The privacy feature will pose a big challenge to the government to successfully track  citizens who would go against the government's orders.

Whether we are scared of the government or not, it still does not change the fact that you can actually do p2p behind closed doors. It is now left for you to decide if you want to obey the government or not.

TBH, it depends on a couple of things. Like how it's enforced and the repercussions.

If it's lax, and they don't seem to have the resources to enforce it effectively, honestly speaking, I think I could slip some long term holds hahaha but I'd definitely be decreasing my on-chain activity.

On another note, I doubt my country would ban it, especially now that crypto is being more received well compared before. I god hope they do not ban it lol.

No on a regular basis like trading or exchanging it to fiat but I would still use it for investment purpose.


I doubt a government will go that far putting a person in jail just because he is using bitcoin. Here in our country top international CEX like Bybit or OKX are banned by the government but people still prefer using it and they find ways to access the platform. Same with bitcoin, people will keep using it with or without an intervention from their goverment.

Not controlled by other parties or third parties, that is the advantage of Bitcoin which shows that Bitcoin does not need institutions or governments to operate.
The answer is still between ready or not if the country of domicile prohibits all activities related to Bitcoin.

If you continue to use Bitcoin as long as internet access exists and the country continues to prohibit Bitcoin, I think the action is still done secretly.
If I do it secretly, maybe fellow Bitcoin users. Apart from that it's difficult.

I mean, we can imagine a world where that happens tbh. Regarding CEX, the government can also add a law that anyone accessing an overseas/banned exchange can be fined too. Whether it's feasible for them to enforce that is another question. If your government is so influential, there's a higher chance the exchange will comply if they ask for their customers' data. But if that does happen, there's also a high chance they'll just apply for permission instead.

At the end of the day, if you're not doing it publicly, not encouraging others to do the same, not having any influential position, I guess it's true that you won't get any punishment just because you use banned assets like Bitcoin (unless it actively destroy what your government is trying to do, like controlled digital asset, etc). CMIIW.

I used Bitcoin for many years in my country after they ban it, I don't just give a damn about the government, when it comes to banning crypto it means you can't transact with any centralised companies on the country and this should be easy because which companies are accepting crypto in my country? None.

You can only have problem if you leave tracks behind like trying to exchange your Bitcoin to Fiat and you go ahead to use a centralised exchange where you have to drop your national identity card or drivers license, this is why some people prefer mixers and privacy ways of hiding transactions.

I don't see anything wrong with this as this is the only time I use privacy coins like XMR, but I was fine all along, just don't leave your tracks behind or your government can get you.

You can use Bitcoin even government in your nation bans it but you must know how to do it carefully. Governments that ban Bitcoin don't value their citizen rights so they are very likely against citizens and try to trace their citizen financial flows in order to get more money like tax and even fund freeze from citizens.

You must know of such risks and prepare your knowledge and appropriate practice to use bitcoin, buy and sell it without clear and considerable traces so that government can catch you and ask you for money or your Bitcoin wallet.

If you are knowledgeable, experienced and careful, you can use Bitcoin without fear.

Exactly mate, it was same energy with me, there was a ban on cryptocurrency in my country which affected Bitcoin but then I never gave a fuck cause same people who placed the ban secretly stored their funds with Bitcoin so why should I care and miss out on a huge opportunity cause of a government that doesn't care about me nor my future,  I was only careful with informations I share with people and going out with devices that had exchanges or anything related with Bitcoin cause the authorities took it personal and kept arresting folks who had dealing with Bitcoin or anything related to cryptocurrency. Thank goodness they've realised their errors and uplift the bans that affected the use of Bitcoin I just hope that the new development concerning cryptocurrency at large lasts cause the government in my society is full of suprises.

Even though Bitcoin is banned, that doesn't mean it can stop us from using it. It's the same with gambling, which is banned in some countries, but gamblers will continue to find ways to play. So it is with Bitcoin, which is quite important for the community, holders, and investors. No matter how the government tries to ban it, it won't stop us from accessing Bitcoin.

Depending on the punishment but I don't think it will be heavy. So for someone who's in that country where in Bitcoin is banned, we have no choice but try to move to another country if we ever want to cash out. Because it's no use if there are no local exchanges or even some international exchanges are there, it's easier for them to integrate with these exchanges for tracking citizens that are using or trading Bitcoin. So, going to another country just to sell it there would be fine and just wire transfer the profit that you'll get from there.

Defying governments has always been a very dangerous and risky path, with devastating consequences for the person challenging the government. If the government bans Bitcoin, then you must first study your country's laws thoroughly to understand what the consequences would be if you were found with Bitcoin. Seeking a lawyer to explain everything better is the second step.

Then, learn more about online anonymity so you can buy coins without the government tracking you. Prepare yourself psychologically for any potential trouble. If you're caught with the government, you'll be arrested. You could face two or eight years in prison. So, you need to prepare yourself psychologically for when you're arrested.

I will consider a person that is determined to hold Bitcoin in a country that it is banned as brave because it's not like Bitcoin is harmful to anybody except the holder is into money laundering. It also depends on the punishment for the ban, if it is life imprisonment or death sentence then I will consider it suicidal, why risk your life and die because of Bitcoin. The best option for Bitcoin enthusiasts in such countries is to move to a Bitcoin friendly country where they will be free to hold, trade and invest in it. From my point of view I think that it is unfair to restrict people to hold Bitcoin considering everything that it has achieved within a short period compared to gold and real estate that hat always been for ages.

But it would be better for us to avoid it and obey the rules or maintain privacy. Because even though it's not a death sentence, if the authorities arrest us for breaking the law, our assets will also be there as evidence. Isn't that a loss for us?

Most countries prohibit Bitcoin as a means of transaction but allow it only for investment assets. This is perfectly reasonable, as it violates national laws, as each country has its own fiat. However, some countries prohibit everything related to cryptocurrencies, even for investment. But in this situation, it's better to maintain privacy when investing in Bitcoin to avoid punishment. The point is, don't get caught breaking the law, because if you do, your assets will be seized by the state which is certainly more painful even if it's not a death sentence.

Yes, that's also what I think that if someone is in a country where Bitcoin is restricted. It's best to move to a free country where he or she can sell those Bitcoins and have it in cash if there is a need to bag some money going back to that mother country. And even it is unfair in our eyes, I don't think that we can't do anything about it if it's the law in that country. Citizens just have to adhere to the laws and if they don't like it, they've got the choice to flee and move to another one or just be a tourist, sell/buy some BTCs and go back afterward.

Bitcoin and cryptocurrency transactions have been banned in my country multiple times by the government, but all this bans didn't stop me from my continual use of bitcoin, because bitcoin and cryptocurrency have turn into a major source of income for me through trading and other means.

Imagine being a graduate and the government is not able to provide you with a job, you have yourself and family with kids and wife to feed and take care of, the government doesn't ask you or even want to know how you are managing even without a job or business, and then the moment you find something which is not illegal that fetches you money, the governments comes around to ban it for no reason but for their foolish ego, man I won't obey such a ban, even if its a strict ban.

That would be pretty hard pill to swallow for me but honestly how are they going to keep track of everyone's private addresses? Unless they have a registered data base and they got all that information. I would consider them brave because you never know what communist countries will do.

If they ban Bitcoin just because they don't like it or can't control it, and give unconvincing reasons. Meanwhile, it is helping me improve my life, something the government is not helping me with. I don't think I'll have to comply with their ban.

For me, as long as bitcoin is not considered dangerous and causes social evils such as drugs, theft or affects life and endangers human life such as terrorism, murder. On the contrary, it even helps me and many others to have a better life. I'm not going to give up and advise someone to give up on bitcoin just because my government banned it.

It all depends on what you mean by accepting and banning bitcoin.

Banning it as a means of payment? - most countries will probably choose this.
Banned on ownership/storage? - I don't think it will be widespread if it happens. On the other hand, how will governments know what you own? No way. Until you show it yourself.
Banned on investing? - I don't think there will be such a ban either (with the exception of some countries), because the government will want a percentage of it in the form of taxes.

It should also be added that bitcoin was created as an alternative to the current financial system, which means that whatever happens in the "traditional system", this doesn't affect the BTC-system. In other words, it exists in parallel, which means that no bans can affect it.

Everything will depend on the legal framework of the country you are in.

These questions can be addressed to anything that is prohibited by law.

Do anything at your own risk.

What is surprising and terrifying is that bitcoin will potentially be put on a par with "traditional" items and substances prohibited by law.