Is it easier to buy drugs, guns, and child pornography with Bitcoin than USD?

[coiner2048]

From my perspective, Bitcoin is not much different than US hundred dollar bills. If you've ever held one, in used condition, there's no telling how many illegal transactions might have involved it in the past. If run thru a scanner, it will most likely bear traces of illegal drugs. Is that the fault of it as a fairly anonymous currency (of course, a US$100 is not truly anonymous due to the serial number, nor is a Bitcoin transaction). Bitcoin is merely a new form of cash, usable for anything from the purchase of an automobile with all taxes paid to something ridiculously illegal.

I have little experience with the dark web, but from what I have seen (mainly gun sales), the sellers tend to stick to the letter of the law, no matter the form of payment. I've seen plenty of guns for sale for BTC, but they, just like USD-paid items, require legal delivery to a FFL (in the US) and an identity check upon pickup. I have no experience in the drug world, but from what I understand that would need to be shipped to the customer, providing an ideal opportunity for law enforcement to jump in at the time of pickup. I don't think at that point it would matter how it was paid for. And as for CP, that may be a more lucrative market, especially with privacy-enhanced altcoins and digital delivery.

So, is BTC inherently enabling for illegal operations? I think not, probably no more so than any fiat currency currently used for illegal activity. And given the scrutiny given to really large BTC transactions to fiat, I think it might even be less so.

[gamerfan]

Absolutely no!

That's just an old prejudice about Bitcoin and we, as a bitcointalk community, should not try to reinforce.
Also, it is far easier to buy such stuff using dollars (or euros) simply because there are more dealers who accept "traditional" money than the ones who accept Bitcoin.

[xuan87]

I don't think so, bitcoin is not really untraceable so it got the same risk to purchase illegal things with USD, and not all people want to accept bitcoin, and not all people familiar with bitcoin and purchasing things from internet is not really safe because it can be traced

[SimmonenY]

I think buying drugs, guns, etc. with bitcoin is as easy as with USD. Not all dealers know about bitcoin and not all their customers have bitcoins (it's easier for them to steal cash than bitcoins). Anywat bitcoin is harder to trace than cash.

[mrfreezeh]

This is a dark side of Bitcoin, because Bitcoin is anonymous and cannot tell where the money is coming from. Very fast and safe more than USD (real money)

[lighpulsar07]

yes i think buying illegal stuff with bitcoin is easy as paying things with fiat but the problem is, paying with fiat online requires verification, which is they will verify your identity to prove that it is you but in bitcoin you are anonymous, although the amount you sent is traceable but the owner is anonymous

[Helveticus]

Is it easier to buy illegal stuff with BTC than $? In certain situations, yes.
Does that give officials a motive to go against BTC? Not really.

Reason: Amazon gift cards are a better way to buy illegal stuff with in all situations where BTC would be better than the $.

[iv4n]

For me it's impossible to buy drugs with bitcoins, not in my wildest dreams. With dollars I could do something more maybe, but here dollars are not so popular, so I can't do much with bitcoins and dollars. With euros I can buy what ever I wish, here that is the main currency and there is no problem to buy anything with euros.
Can you learn something from my post? It's not easier to do bad things with help of bitcoin, evil existed before bitcoin and will exist after, bitcoin doesn't have anything with that.

[Mia Wallace]

This is a dark side of Bitcoin, because Bitcoin is anonymous and cannot tell where the money is coming from. Very fast and safe more than USD (real money)

This is absolutely a wrong information because bitcoin is not anonymous and if the federal department want to trace the transactions then it is easier for them to do so and if they put those tainted coins in an exchange then it is more than easy to catch them as all of the exchanges run with strict KYC policy and no is going to hide from those.People use fiat for more crime than they do with crypto currency.

[Rahar02]

That's untrue, it's easier when the transaction goes on in the dark web  or remotely but physically I think the US dollar is often used to perpetuate these activities than any other currency.

Yeah as mostly (dark) sites use credit cards (USd or other currencies) and just few that accept bitcoin payment, not so much as USD acceptance. People like to receive cash instead of fluctuate digital currency, that's why I vote for USD than bitcoin.

[Xester]

Maybe?!  Because you only need some bitcoins, computer and btc address and there you go, you have bought a product.  And it is easier to bit of course at the dark market.  There is nothing to worry about revraling your identity.  Unlike when you will use dollars then you have to communicate with the seller and convinced him that you have a money.  Then risking your identity because of course they do not want to be scammed.

[arcanayou]

In my country there is never any news about the use of bitcoin for buy drugs, guns, and child pornography, all of which is strictly prohibited in my country. Indeed I've heard the news that there are people or organizations that use bitcoin for transaction drugs. But if bitcoin makes that easy, it's a big mistake

[yrreg ger]

Bitcoin is really powerful and very convenient to use for online transactions. You can buy things using bitcoin anonymously. I think this is the reason why many would prefer using bitcoin than US dollars in buying drugs and other illegal things online. Also, they think that using bitcoin will make it more untraceable in performing such acts. You can do the payments online and have the illegal package delivered somewhere for you pick up. No meet up is needed for the buyer and the seller which makes it safer.

I have no experience in buying drugs using bitcoin and I do not have intentions to do so. I cannot tell if it is cheaper since I have no idea how much a sachet of drugs cost but I think using bitcoin to have an illegal transaction is easier than using US dollars.