Bitcoin Forum

What main reasons are there against tinting coins? Why shouldn't we begin tinting coins, such as the ones from the bitstamp hack that ended up in an address for a little while.

What are the main reasons for tinting coins? I don't see why coins should be marked in this way. What real benefits does it serve?

Somehow restricting criminal activity? I know, it's a tough thing to sell.

It would defeat the overall purpose.

Who gets to decide what is criminal activity? I just can't see this being a good thing except to bitcoin haters who complain about the coin being used for criminality and drugs etc. All this will likely do is just hurt innocent people who happen to receive some dirty coins for whatever reason.

Unless you can arrange it in a decentralized way, I'm against it.
There must be consensus about it because Bitcoin doesn't care about the 'rightful' owner of the coins.
He who owns the private key is the owner.

Which is what in your eyes?

I know that bit, the part about ethics is where this comes into play. I doubt anything will come out of anything that is enough to convince top-level people to implement tinting coins but nonetheless it is an interesting topic to discuss.

But who would be the 'top-level' people? The developers?
The developers can only try to convince us to use a fork with tinting feature.
I will not use it and I think many will not.
If the majority will use it, I will have to join them I guess.

It destroys the currency. When there is a party, that can decide, that your Bitcoin can not be used anymore. This party will abuse this power.
Top-level users(what ever that is supposed to mean) are not superior ethical.
If you want to punish criminals, do it the old fashioned way, not by abusing the Bitcoin network.

Could be Gavin Andreson or even Theymos (if he sorts out the forum first ;))
I guess it would be a "if majority votes for it it goes".

There is a party that decides the fee and such, currently.

There is no  party, that decides fees. I still make zero-fee-transactions from time to time. If there is a miner, that takes it into the blockchain it will land there. There doesn't have to be a consensus about what is the right fee.

How does tinting coins solve anything? if the criminal is anonymous and using anonimizers and whatnot..

What we need is decentralized exchanges. Im not trusting normal exchanges no matter how much you tint the coins.

Decentralized exchange means earning and spending the coins like currency.
In the end we should not bother too much with converting to old fashion stinky fiat.

Why do people keep thinking it's the currency's job to enforce law and order? Currency is just for trading. Other systems should be in charge of justice (and already do).

I think Bitcoins will be well tinted at end. Since BTC community will kneel infront of banks and governments as long they will help with adoption. That si why i dont see Bitcoin will be main world currency on long run.

With bitcoin, most people's mindsets are for everything to be decentralised. Justice is extremely centralised right now, much like this forum (just check out meta). So hmmm.

Banks and government will try to hinder adoption not help Bitcoin grow. Thus I think Bitcoin will grow independently and must to thrive.

If bitcoin 'needs' banks and governments for adoption there is something wrong in my opinion.

Just like we don't need banks and government to love certain music, it should be your own choice.

They can and already do have a major influence on bitcoin, unfortunately.

We all have influence, whales even more.
But there is something wrong when we are dependent on them.

Doesn't matter. Decentralized justice is still not the currency's job. We should be creating a new system for that.

That's the issue with creating a decentralised currency in such a centralised economy.