The Bitcoin busts: Its anonymity made Bitcoin popular among criminals.

[cmbartley]

"Bitcoin, the Internet currency beloved by computer scientists, libertarians, and criminals, is no longer invulnerable."

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6278/1144.full

[Lauda]

What is the point of this article? Why is it that people think that Bitcoin is completely anonymous? It is a transparent ledger after all, anyone can see everything on it. Bitcoin is pseudo-anonymous which is actually better if you want a coin that is legal and/or regulated. If you don't want that, then go find something in the altcoin pile.

[cmbartley]

What is the point of this article? Why is it that people think that Bitcoin is completely anonymous? It is a transparent ledger after all, anyone can see everything on it. Bitcoin is pseudo-anonymous which is actually better if you want a coin that is legal and/or regulated. If you don't want that, then go find something in the altcoin pile.

It's an article for quasi lay people. Science is one of the most widely read scientific research journals so their readership has a high capacity for technical understanding but Bitcoin, believe it or not, is still not mainstream at all. This article serves to continue to insert bitcoin and other cryptos into mainstream conversation which should bolster adoption over time.

[Hirose UK]

What is the point of this article? Why is it that people think that Bitcoin is completely anonymous? It is a transparent ledger after all, anyone can see everything on it. Bitcoin is pseudo-anonymous which is actually better if you want a coin that is legal and/or regulated. If you don't want that, then go find something in the altcoin pile.

I agree. because of the transparent transaction of bitcoin, people can believe to them who send bitcoins although the sender is anymous, but I'm not saying that all people is honestly using this stuff.

[owm123]

"Bitcoin, the Internet currency beloved by computer scientists, libertarians, and criminals, is no longer invulnerable."

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6278/1144.full

It was known since 2008 that bitcoin is NOT anonymous.
http://www.bitcoinisnotanonymous.com/#Bitcoin-P2P

So there is not much any "discoveries" in this science magazine.

[pooya87]

"Bitcoin, the Internet currency beloved by computer scientists, libertarians, and criminals, is no longer invulnerable."

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6278/1144.full

It was known since 2008 that bitcoin is NOT anonymous.
http://www.bitcoinisnotanonymous.com/#Bitcoin-P2P

So there is not much any "discoveries" in this science magazine.

atleast it can make the criminals have less risk than using fiat, that's why,even it's not anonymous at all,and bitcoin can be simply laundered by exchanging to alt coin

there is always a way for criminals to hide their tracks and launder money. it is not just bitcoin. bitcoin is just a currency like any other. it has been like always, Al Capone didn't have bitcoin when he was laundering money in 1900s

[vero]

A lot of the revenue that banks make from transaction fees and money laundering will be lost if bitcoin or another cryptocurrency really becomes mainstream as a store of value. that's why they called bitcoin is criminals

[Amph]

it's not a tool of crimanl and everything illegal, just because criminal choose to use it

i cna argue that the first criminal is the government sitting on unfair taxes and huge inflation, purposely created to suck even more money from average joe

[avikz]

Every innovation will have a brighter and a darker side.

No doubt that its anonymity made bitcoin popular among criminals but the majority of bitcoin users are not criminals. They are just normal people like you and me.

Bitcoin is a blessing and not a bane.

[Kprawn]

The biggest criminals are those people raping poor people with sky high fees in the fiat remittance and banks environments. Most people think Bitcoin is anonymous, including criminals and then they

get caught. There are several other Alt coins, offering much better anonymity than Bitcoin {Dash} for these criminals. The whole Bitcoin = criminals association were hyped up by the press on crack,

after the whole Silkroad fiasco. We cannot tell criminals not to use Bitcoin, and the same goes for cash. 

[Lauda]

It's an article for quasi lay people. Science is one of the most widely read scientific research journals so their readership has a high capacity for technical understanding but Bitcoin, believe it or not, is still not mainstream at all. This article serves to continue to insert bitcoin and other cryptos into mainstream conversation which should bolster adoption over time.

I'm most certainly aware that Bitcoin is not mainstream yet. I understand your viewpoint.

I agree. because of the transparent transaction of bitcoin, people can believe to them who send bitcoins although the sender is anymous, but I'm not saying that all people is honestly using this stuff.

Well, you have to consider another aspect. As a user, you can view thousands of transaction of the blockchain and you have no idea from who they are nor where they're going. This is why it is pseudo-anonymous. Just because there's a possibility that you could be uncovered (a lot of research and information gathered) that does not mean that this aspect is lost.

[onlinedragon]

Criminals don't care about it believe me. Even when Bitcoin will not useful anymore they will find another way to do the transaction.

[RealPhotoshoper]

"Bitcoin, the Internet currency beloved by computer scientists, libertarians, and criminals, is no longer invulnerable."

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6278/1144.full

so far they right,bitcoins beloved by computer scientist,libertarians and criminal. but until now,not only that people who love bitcoin,and i believe general people will also love bitcoin in future.

[Crazygreek]

Criminals don't care about it believe me. Even when Bitcoin will not useful anymore they will find another way to do the transaction.

It's really a truth. Criminals worked before bitcoin and will do this after. Bitcoin now just a good tool in criminals hands and anonymity is not only the reason. Bitcoin have a lot of advatages for it .

[unamis76]

When was Bitcoin invulnerable? If it was, we wouldn't be caring this much about it...

[ranochigo]

Bitcoin is pseudonymous and is a great alternative for money laundering. However, Bitcoin has a significantly less adoption rate compared to fiat. Fiat is accepted almost everywhere in the world and it is easy for anyone to spend them. When laundering money using Bitcoin, they have to get past the verification of exchanges and even with face to face trades, there is little volume.

[Bitcoinpro]

"Bitcoin, the Internet currency beloved by computer scientists, libertarians, and criminals, is no longer invulnerable."

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6278/1144.full

Mods block these full retard accounts please

[NordicRanger]

Yes this is the reason why criminal make use of Bitcoin because they cannot me traced or tracked down. But this is also a reason why normal people use Bitcoin because they do not want to get their information out there.

[cmbartley]

"Bitcoin, the Internet currency beloved by computer scientists, libertarians, and criminals, is no longer invulnerable."

http://science.sciencemag.org/content/351/6278/1144.full

Mods block these full retard accounts please

Ha, what is the blocking policy? Whimsy?

[vrm86]

How is the cash money easier to track than bitcoins?  I'm afraid, that more retarded articles like this one are waiting for us - why make an effort to learn anything, when you can burn on stake anything you don't understand?