These guys are UNBELIEVABLE. The Brookings Institution weighs in.

[tonto]

Now the real fun will begin... The fuckers are feeling threated by Bitcoin. It's a huge day for Bitcoin, believe me.

Believe me.  They can't do anything about it.

They could, however, start buying it up to get rid of bit coins.  I imagine if the price keeps going down, they'll do that exact thing, in an attempt to side-lining the project and destroying the coins that they buy. 
 
Now, this could have the effect of raising bit coin prices so that fractions of a coin become just as valuable as well.  Who knows, we'll see! 

[Piper67]

Now the real fun will begin... The fuckers are feeling threated by Bitcoin. It's a huge day for Bitcoin, believe me.

Believe me.  They can't do anything about it.

They could, however, start buying it up to get rid of bit coins.  I imagine if the price keeps going down, they'll do that exact thing, in an attempt to side-lining the project and destroying the coins that they buy. 
 
Now, this could have the effect of raising bit coin prices so that fractions of a coin become just as valuable as well.  Who knows, we'll see! 

I was going along similar lines here https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=14163.0

[ercolinux]

They could, however, start buying it up to get rid of bit coins.  I imagine if the price keeps going down, they'll do that exact thing, in an attempt to side-lining the project and destroying the coins that they buy. 
 
Now, this could have the effect of raising bit coin prices so that fractions of a coin become just as valuable as well.  Who knows, we'll see! 

If they buy all the money they can hoard price will rise, but market will die slowly due to the fact that only BTC to goods transactions will be out of reach. But  the market is not ready to sustain a similar attack because there is only 1 level or at least 2 in the market (supplier will be payed in fiat currency for most of the merchant out there so all needs to convert BTC to fiat in short times)

[MyBitcoinMint]

Now the real fun will begin... The fuckers are feeling threated by Bitcoin. It's a huge day for Bitcoin, believe me.

Believe me.  They can't do anything about it.

yea they could.. go after dwoala , camp bx , flexcoin...  then push Japan to put pressure on Mt. Gox ...

Can they shut down bitcoin?  No.. but they can send it to 10 cents by the time they are done.

I would think gov't attempts to shut down the Exchanges/Bitbanks would probably result in higher Bitcoin prices rather than lower...not to mention new exchanges/Bitbanks can pop up anytime/anywhere..

[Isepick]

Or in order to disrupt Bitcoin the Feds could start a competing blockchain

[LightRider]

What's the best way to rob a bank?

Stop using money.

[hugolp]

What's the best way to rob a bank?

Stop using money.

Yes, thats also the best way to discoordinate the economy and make everybody poor.

The best way to rob a bank is stop using THEIR money.

[cypherdoc]

The best way to rob a bank?  Own one.

[bitrebel]

The best way to rob a bank?  Own one.

best way to rob a bank...

Wait for a Tsunami, and have a large boat nearby.

A guy in Japan recently returned 70 Million in funds locked in vaults that washed ashore after the flooding from the tsunami.

Why are the Japanese so gullible and dumb and nice?

FUCK THAT!

Banks insured! I KEEP IT ALL!

[bitrebel]

BTW, did you know the guy who is current President of the Brookings Institute for the last 10 years approx. is a known Skull & Bonesman. Talbott, Strobe - NO FUCKING SURPRISE, RIGHT? The piece of shit bastard Masons and scam artist politicians and fraudulent bankster scumbags!

Talbott, Nelson Strobridge III (b. 1946) — also known as Strobe Talbott — of Ohio. Born in 1946. U.S. Ambassador to , 1993-94. Member, Skull and Bones. Still living as of 1994.

http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/talbott.html#393.42.74

[ElectricMucus]

...

The potential Achilles heel of Bitcoin—that each server in the network contains a complete record
of all transactions—will almost certainly be addressed in future systems that distribute transaction
information so that no single server or small collection of servers contains a complete transaction
record. It is also possible to envision systems in which the transaction records are not only
distributed, but evanescent, so that even the collective information stored on all the servers in the
system at any given time would not enable a complete reconstruction of transaction history.

It'd call this predictive programming, an attempt by it self to inject this idea ("terrorist cell" split-up of the blockchain)  into the bitcoin community. This attempt may even the whole purpose of the paper. If they are successful it would be easier to demonize bitcoin.

We are already under attack and this is the first strike in the psywar.

[cypherdoc]

The best way to rob a bank?  Own one.

best way to rob a bank...

Wait for a Tsunami, and have a large boat nearby.

A guy in Japan recently returned 70 Million in funds locked in vaults that washed ashore after the flooding from the tsunami.

Why are the Japanese so gullible and dumb and nice?

FUCK THAT!

Banks insured! I KEEP IT ALL!

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04032009/watch.html

"The best way to rob a bank?  Own one."

[cbeast]

...

The potential Achilles heel of Bitcoin—that each server in the network contains a complete record
of all transactions—will almost certainly be addressed in future systems that distribute transaction
information so that no single server or small collection of servers contains a complete transaction
record. It is also possible to envision systems in which the transaction records are not only
distributed, but evanescent, so that even the collective information stored on all the servers in the
system at any given time would not enable a complete reconstruction of transaction history.

It'd call this predictive programming, an attempt by it self to inject this idea ("terrorist cell" split-up of the blockchain)  into the bitcoin community. This attempt may even the whole purpose of the paper. If they are successful it would be easier to demonize bitcoin.

We are already under attack and this is the first strike in the psywar.

Really? The blockchain size is the Achilles heel? Who do these people think they are? Oh right, never-mind. They do not understand bitcoin, nor the internet. It's a good thing we have actual smart people *doing* the work that makes technology possible while the anti-intellectuals write silly papers that do nothing. As far as competing multiple blockchains go; I'm all for them. As a psywar assault, this paper is an epic fail. I'll give the Brookings Institute a hint. If you want to attack bitcoins, passing laws against free speech won't work. Just buy them all up like Roosevelt did with gold. QED.

[Steve]

Can they shut down bitcoin?  No.. but they can send it to 10 cents by the time they are done.

And bitcoin would still work perfectly well.

Anyone investing in bitcoin should assess the risk of government interference and remain appropriately diversified.  For people that simply want true two party transactions, bitcoin works at any price.  If governments really want to stop bitcoin, they'll need to place restrictions on all forms of digital communications.  They'll need to make sure you check with a government agency before you exchange USB keys with anyone.  The transfer of ownership of a computer will need to be a registered and tracked activity.  And let's not forget radio...bitcoin will work fine over HAM radio covering very large distances...they'll have to put an end to any form of digital communication over radio.  And what about bluetooth, NFC, QR codes and optical scanners...they'll need regulations for those.  They'll need to make sure any wifi enabled device runs only government provided software.

This article, while disturbing in many respects, is grossly underestimating the magnitude of the expenditure that will be required to stop or control digital currencies from proliferating.  At some point, I'm confident that govt's and financial institutions will make the rational, self interested and self preservationist decision that it is better to make use of digital currencies than to fight them.

[cypherdoc]

Can they shut down bitcoin?  No.. but they can send it to 10 cents by the time they are done.

And bitcoin would still work perfectly well.

Anyone investing in bitcoin should assess the risk of government interference and remain appropriately diversified.  For people that simply want true two party transactions, bitcoin works at any price.  If governments really want to stop bitcoin, they'll need to place restrictions on all forms of digital communications.  They'll need to make sure you check with a government agency before you exchange USB keys with anyone.  The transfer of ownership of a computer will need to be a registered and tracked activity.  And let's not forget radio...bitcoin will work fine over HAM radio covering very large distances...they'll have to put an end to any form of digital communication over radio.  And what about bluetooth, NFC, QR codes and optical scanners...they'll need regulations for those.  They'll need to make sure any wifi enabled device runs only government provided software.

This article, while disturbing in many respects, is grossly underestimating the magnitude of the expenditure that will be required to stop or control digital currencies from proliferating.  At some point, I'm confident that govt's and financial institutions will make the rational, self interested and self preservationist decision that it is better to make use of digital currencies than to fight them.

+1.  this is the first time i've ever read of alternative creative ways to use Bitcoin.  care to elaborate about how Bitcoin could work over digital radio and bluetooth?

[the founder]

Can they shut down bitcoin?  No.. but they can send it to 10 cents by the time they are done.

At some point, I'm confident that govt's and financial institutions will make the rational, self interested and self preservationist decision that it is better to make use of digital currencies than to fight them.

Steve, we're talking about Washington DC (the guys that almost defaulted on our debt last month) and Bankers that established over the past 200 years their own system that everyone legally has to follow.

Trust me there is a difference between rational and what we got going on in Washington.

It's akin to having Exxon be the legal regulatory power for Electric Cars...

[Steve]

Can they shut down bitcoin?  No.. but they can send it to 10 cents by the time they are done.

And bitcoin would still work perfectly well.

Anyone investing in bitcoin should assess the risk of government interference and remain appropriately diversified.  For people that simply want true two party transactions, bitcoin works at any price.  If governments really want to stop bitcoin, they'll need to place restrictions on all forms of digital communications.  They'll need to make sure you check with a government agency before you exchange USB keys with anyone.  The transfer of ownership of a computer will need to be a registered and tracked activity.  And let's not forget radio...bitcoin will work fine over HAM radio covering very large distances...they'll have to put an end to any form of digital communication over radio.  And what about bluetooth, NFC, QR codes and optical scanners...they'll need regulations for those.  They'll need to make sure any wifi enabled device runs only government provided software.

This article, while disturbing in many respects, is grossly underestimating the magnitude of the expenditure that will be required to stop or control digital currencies from proliferating.  At some point, I'm confident that govt's and financial institutions will make the rational, self interested and self preservationist decision that it is better to make use of digital currencies than to fight them.

+1.  this is the first time i've ever read of alternative creative ways to use Bitcoin.  care to elaborate about how Bitcoin could work over digital radio and bluetooth?

There are only two things bitcoin nodes have to communicate with each other...transactions and blocks.  Neither of these require a particularly large amount of bandwidth and they are both asynchronous.  For the same reasons that the internet can be made to work over these communications channels, bitcoin can as well.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

BTW, did you know the guy who is current President of the Brookings Institute for the last 10 years approx. is a known Skull & Bonesman. Talbott, Strobe - NO FUCKING SURPRISE, RIGHT? The piece of shit bastard Masons and scam artist politicians and fraudulent bankster scumbags!

Talbott, Nelson Strobridge III (b. 1946) — also known as Strobe Talbott — of Ohio. Born in 1946. U.S. Ambassador to , 1993-94. Member, Skull and Bones. Still living as of 1994.

http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/talbott.html#393.42.74

Hate to break the bad news, but I've uncovered a many of them attached to Bitcoin via my stupid re-search of TW. Some of them being early adapters. Also, other early members are/were involved with WOW Gold and/or practice some form of occult.

[Vladimir]

.

[ElectricMucus]

BTW, did you know the guy who is current President of the Brookings Institute for the last 10 years approx. is a known Skull & Bonesman. Talbott, Strobe - NO FUCKING SURPRISE, RIGHT? The piece of shit bastard Masons and scam artist politicians and fraudulent bankster scumbags!

Talbott, Nelson Strobridge III (b. 1946) — also known as Strobe Talbott — of Ohio. Born in 1946. U.S. Ambassador to , 1993-94. Member, Skull and Bones. Still living as of 1994.

http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/talbott.html#393.42.74

Hate to break the bad news, but I've uncovered a many of them attached to Bitcoin via my stupid re-search of TW. Some of them being early adapters. Also, other early members are/were involved with WOW Gold and/or practice some form of occult.

Do you have hard evidence of that?

We are crossing into tinfoilhat / omg its nwo the bohemian grove territory here.
Imho: Too much mystique over the cypherpunks