Bitcoin Foundation ask US Government Accountability Office to investigate FBI

[theochino]

From: Llew Claasen     
To: Nathan_Hallford@judiciary-rep.senate.gov, Tim_Kelly@judiciary-rep.senate.gov, jim.clinger@mail.house.gov, tommy.leander@mail.house.gov, hilary.gawrilow@mail.house.gov     
Date: Thu, Aug 31, 2017 at 3:30 AM     
Subject: S. 1241, “Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Counterfeiting Act of 2017”-Section 13 & Prosecutions under 18 U.S.C. § 1960     

Dear Senate committee members

The Bitcoin Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in September 2012. Comprised of senior leaders in the Bitcoin community, the Foundation coordinates joint efforts of the Bitcoin community, helping to create awareness of the benefits of Bitcoin, its use and its related technology requirements. The Foundation’s audience includes technologists, regulators, and the media, and its reach is global. The Foundation has been at the forefront of campaigning for an unimpeded economic system for the future. In November 2013, Patrick Murck, general counsel of the Foundation, testified before a United States Senate Committee convened to assess digital currencies. After engaging with federal regulators and lawmakers, a near-unanimous consensus that the federal government needed to be careful to avoid hampering the growth of the world's first completely decentralized payment network resulted.

First, the Foundation wishes to express its strong and unequivocal opposition to a specific section of a bill titled “Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Counterfeiting Act of 2017” (S. 1241), Section 13, to the extent it includes “digital currencies” for purposes of Subchapter II of Title 31 of the U.S. Code, dealing with “Records and Reports on Monetary Instruments Transactions.”

Second, we request that the United States Committee on the Judiciary formally investigates, whether directly or through the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Department of Justice’s policy of prosecuting individuals who exchange bitcoin for cash or other financial instruments under the federal money transmitting statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1960.

Further details of our submission to your committees are included in the letter attached here.

We look forward to engaging further with you about these very important issues.

best wishes

Llew Claasen
Executive Director
The Bitcoin Foundation

The packet is located here: http://www.article78againstnydfs.com/docs/BitcoinFoundation         

The twitter account about Abolishing the Bitlicense: https://twitter.com/AbolishBtLicnse/status/903272515400863745

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[hardforkcoin]

You know, it is funny that there even is a such thing as a bit-license... What a stupid concept. The entire point of bitcoin is to be decentralized, and here comes the government trying to take and grab any part of it they can.

The only reason things aren't adopted so mainstream for bitcoin right now is due to the government getting in the way. They are making barriers to entry for setting up exchanges, which in turn only allows the current exchanges to grow larger and become Oligopolies... Almost no new exhcnage can come into existence, and that limits the amount of people who can advertise for BTC.

if we had more exchanges, they would be advertising BTC and other cryptos to get peoples attention, since coinbase is huge they don't have to advertise, they just do what they do.

[bitcoinfuck]

so its fucked up now dude

[joseafonso123az]

Clear me if I am wrong, is US trying to ban Bitcoin ?
It looks like that, and they say that it has uses in terrorist activities. I think every other currency is used in those activities, and if they don't  control that because they don't want, they'll try to end a currency that has a lot of potential?  That's bad because many countries follow US steps.

[Ucy]

From: Llew Claasen      
To: Nathan_Hallford@judiciary-rep.senate.gov, Tim_Kelly@judiciary-rep.senate.gov, jim.clinger@mail.house.gov, tommy.leander@mail.house.gov, hilary.gawrilow@mail.house.gov      
Date: Thu, Aug 31, 2017 at 3:30 AM      
Subject: S. 1241, “Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Counterfeiting Act of 2017”-Section 13 & Prosecutions under 18 U.S.C. § 1960      

Dear Senate committee members

The Bitcoin Foundation, Inc. is a non-profit organization founded in September r 2012. Comprised of senior leaders in the Bitcoin community, the Foundation coordinates joint efforts of the Bitcoin community, helping to create awareness of the benefits of Bitcoin, its use and its related technology requirements. The Foundation’s audience includes technologists, regulators, and the media, and its reach is global. The Foundation has been at the forefront of campaigning for an unimpeded economic system for the future. In November 2013, Patrick Murck, general counsel of the Foundation, testified before a United States Senate Committee convened to assess digital currencies. After engaging with federal regulators and lawmakers, a near-unanimous consensus that the federal government needed to be careful to avoid hampering the growth of the world's first completely decentralized payment network resulted.

First, the Foundation wishes to express its strong and unequivocal opposition to a specific section of a bill titled “Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Counterfeiting Act of 2017” (S. 1241), Section 13, to the extent it includes “digital currencies” for purposes of Subchapter II of Title 31 of the U.S. Code, dealing with “Records and Reports on Monetary Instruments Transactions.”

 Second, we request that the United States Committee on the Judiciary formally investigates, whether directly or through the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), the U.S. Department of Justice’s policy of prosecuting individuals who exchange bitcoin for cash or other financial instruments under the federal money transmitting statute, 18 U.S.C. § 1960.

Further details of our submission to your committees are included in the letter attached here.

We look forward to engaging further with you about these very important issues.

best wishes

Llew Claasen
Executive Director
The Bitcoin Foundation

The packet is located here: http://www.article78againstnydfs.com/docs/BitcoinFoundation          

The twitter account about Abolishing the Bitlicense: https://twitter.com/AbolishBtLicnse/status/903272515400863745

Thought this was a joke when I first saw it few months ago.
OP did what is needed to be done. Bitcoin is almost where it should to be. Better for government to work in harmony with it to make it safer rather than finding ways to control it or shut it down. This is shocking.

[squatter]

Actually, i'm more surprised to see Bitcoin Foundation is still alive since i heard the foundation bankrupt and the developers move to different places. But i doubt they will actually investigate FBI or will get any real result.

I actually thought the Foundation was defunct, so indeed it's surprising to hear anything from them. The bit about investigating the FBI is an adorable joke; of course they won't be investigated.

Does anyone know of this bill is making progress, or if it's likely to die? I researched a bit but can't gauge whether it will happen or not.

Interestingly, they specifically target tumblers...and altcoin-only exchanges need full AML compliance.

[theochino]

Does anyone know of this bill is making progress, or if it's likely to die? I researched a bit but can't gauge whether it will happen or not.

Regarding the Bill, I hope it dies .... it was put on hold about 5 years ago but S13 of S1241 need to be wiped once and for all. I have put this page together: http://www.abolishthebitlicense.com/advocacy.php

I actually thought the Foundation was defunct, so indeed it's surprising to hear anything from them. The bit about investigating the FBI is an adorable joke; of course they won't be investigated.

No, the foundation is not dead ! All the trade organizations would like it to be dead ... like Coincenter.

In July 2017, in San Diego, an organization called the Uniform Law Commission voted to ratify a new version of the NY Bitlicense. All the information is here. When the Bitcoin Foundation learned about the ULC, it set a letter that caused the commissioners to pause. http://uniformlaws.org/Committee.aspx?title=Regulation%20of%20Virtual%20Currency%20Businesses%20Act

Now, the Bitcoin Foundation understood that the fight on the Bitlicense in New York was not dead.
http://www.itpro.co.uk/strategy/28261/bitcoin-news-bitcoin-foundation-readies-legal-team-for-us-regulation-battle

At the same time, there is another Bitcoiner, Morpheus Titania in Jail. The whole piece on asking the FBI is for him.
https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Article/216911-2017-04-25-update-on-morhpeus-titania-aka-thomas-costanzo-arrested-4-20.htm

We created a Facebook Page for him: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FreeMorpheusTitania

This is another guy arrested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pX7IQ6UOVM (Randall Lord) but after pleading realizes his mistake.

If you want to read the documents:

This is a transcript on the hearing. It's page 8 Line 6. There should have been a major objection here. http://www.article78againstnydfs.com/docs/PetixCase/2015-cr-00227/55-Transcript/12913785335.pdf

Before that hearing, there was this report made by a judge where he answers the question: Are Bitcoins “Money” or “Funds” Under Section 1960? Defining the terms “money” and “funds” requires using a few principles of statutory interpretation. (Page 7) http://www.article78againstnydfs.com/docs/PetixCase/2015-cr-00227/36-Report/document.pdf

The Bitcoin Foundation in the long ass letter says it: http://www.article78againstnydfs.com/docs/BitcoinFoundation/LetterFromClaasenToCommittees-08-29-2017-FULLPACKAGE.pdf

"Congress should investigate the DOJ’s policy of prosecuting individuals in certain Bitcoin-related transactions under 18 U.S.C. § 1960" (Page 2)

This is explained in detail in Page 10 of the document. The DOJ has misapplied 18 U.S.C. § 1960 to prosecute individuals involved in exchanging Bitcoin for cash or other financial instruments.

The bitcoin foundation stopped joking.
I did wake them up in Miami back in January.

[centralbanksequalsbombs]

Does anyone know of this bill is making progress, or if it's likely to die? I researched a bit but can't gauge whether it will happen or not.

Regarding the Bill, I hope it dies .... it was put on hold about 5 years ago but S13 of S1241 need to be wiped once and for all. I have put this page together: http://www.abolishthebitlicense.com/advocacy.php

I actually thought the Foundation was defunct, so indeed it's surprising to hear anything from them. The bit about investigating the FBI is an adorable joke; of course they won't be investigated.

No, the foundation is not dead ! All the trade organizations would like it to be dead ... like Coincenter.

In July 2017, in San Diego, an organization called the Uniform Law Commission voted to ratify a new version of the NY Bitlicense. All the information is here. When the Bitcoin Foundation learned about the ULC, it set a letter that caused the commissioners to pause. http://uniformlaws.org/Committee.aspx?title=Regulation%20of%20Virtual%20Currency%20Businesses%20Act

Now, the Bitcoin Foundation understood that the fight on the Bitlicense in New York was not dead.
http://www.itpro.co.uk/strategy/28261/bitcoin-news-bitcoin-foundation-readies-legal-team-for-us-regulation-battle

At the same time, there is another Bitcoiner, Morpheus Titania in Jail. The whole piece on asking the FBI is for him.
https://www.freedomsphoenix.com/Article/216911-2017-04-25-update-on-morhpeus-titania-aka-thomas-costanzo-arrested-4-20.htm

We created a Facebook Page for him: https://www.facebook.com/groups/FreeMorpheusTitania

This is another guy arrested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pX7IQ6UOVM (Randall Lord) but after pleading realizes his mistake.

If you want to read the documents:

This is a transcript on the hearing. It's page 8 Line 6. There should have been a major objection here. http://www.article78againstnydfs.com/docs/PetixCase/2015-cr-00227/55-Transcript/12913785335.pdf

Before that hearing, there was this report made by a judge where he answers the question: Are Bitcoins “Money” or “Funds” Under Section 1960? Defining the terms “money” and “funds” requires using a few principles of statutory interpretation. (Page 7) http://www.article78againstnydfs.com/docs/PetixCase/2015-cr-00227/36-Report/document.pdf

The Bitcoin Foundation in the long ass letter says it: http://www.article78againstnydfs.com/docs/BitcoinFoundation/LetterFromClaasenToCommittees-08-29-2017-FULLPACKAGE.pdf

"Congress should investigate the DOJ’s policy of prosecuting individuals in certain Bitcoin-related transactions under 18 U.S.C. § 1960" (Page 2)

This is explained in detail in Page 10 of the document. The DOJ has misapplied 18 U.S.C. § 1960 to prosecute individuals involved in exchanging Bitcoin for cash or other financial instruments.

The bitcoin foundation stopped joking.
I did wake them up in Miami back in January.

Thank you - this and the original post is really good stuff.

Unfortunately, the majority of users posting on this forum do not understand that government licenses and regulations are bad for bitcoin. Even further, they would not understand even if every government bans bitcoin despite this bitcoin still would be used, sought after and invested in regardless.