People somehow still believe that as long as you don't have to submit your ID and other personal information to an exchange, that you are completely anonymous. People have to find out the truth the hard way I guess.
i'm not seeking anonymity so much as avoiding being low-hanging fruit. by all appearances, the people the IRS are currently shaking down are those who were in the 2018 coinbase summons and customers of exchanges who send 1099s. if a 3-letter agency
really wants to nail you, it's another matter entirely, but avoiding KYC is a good way for casual users to generally stay off the radar.
Exactly! This is why Anonymous Exchanges and methods to buy and sell bitcoin world wide will always be popular.
Even in a "banned" country, traveling somewhere and buying/selling bitcoin for cash is always possible.