[Discussion] What if Bitcoin is NOT anonymous?

[Phoebus Cassandra]

Bitcoin is an innovative currency and has many characteristics setting it apart. So let's do something like a thought experiment: What if Bitcoin was not designed to have one or several of these characteristics? Would it still be like what it is today?

This question occurred to me when I was doing a general debriefing for the JWAC (Joint Warfare Analysis Center, an organization put up together by the US Department of Defence involving other US governmental agencies to analyze potential threats America faces. I was once a civil consultant there.); I was trying to capture a few points that makes Bitcoin worthy of attention and to elaborate their significance. There are quite a few things different about Bitcoins, e.g. anonymity/secrecy, decentralization, no frozen accounts, convenience, digitization, etc., but what is really the most important one(s)? If I were to answer this question, I think I should assure what would happen without each or several of these properties that BTC possess. What difference would it make, and how may the development of BTC be effected without it?

So let me ask you this question: what do you think makes Bitcoin what it is? I have my answers, and I'd love to have a discussion with you guys. But before that, I want to know what you think.

If it's better to list a poll, I'll do it. I hope more people can see this since it's an interesting topic.

[notme]

It's not by default:
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Anonymity

[Phoebus Cassandra]

At least more anonymous than credit card or PayPal.

Besides, if you wish to protect your identity, it's your sole responsibility to make sure everything is anonymous. As far as the BTC system is concerned, the wallet addresses are anonymous. As long as you don't link any personal info to that wallet address, it's perfectly anonymous.

[notme]

At least more anonymous than credit card or PayPal.

Besides, if you wish to protect your identity, it's your sole responsibility to make sure everything is anonymous. As far as the BTC system is concerned, the wallet addresses are anonymous. As long as you don't link any personal info to that wallet address, it's perfectly anonymous.

To that wallet address, or any other address in that wallet if you use the reference client.  Some clients give you more control.  People should understand that it is not a given.

[Phoebus Cassandra]

Yeah. I agree. But that's kind of off the point here isn't it? It's a discussion about what makes Bitcoin special.

[notme]

Well, I just wanted to drop that link so people can discuss the issue intelligently.

Bitcoin is less anonymous than cash and more anonymous than banks.  Do you want to explore the space between careful bitcoin usage and banks or between the reference client and banks?  The link provides most of the delta between the two spaces, so we can probably just focus on the latter part here.