Will BTC survive if encryption/cryptography becomes illegal?

[Abiky]

I've read somewhere about the US proposing a ban on cryptography/encryption algorithms for good. Doing such a thing will not only mark the end of privacy, but also traditional cryptocurrencies we know and love today. Bitcoin will be the one cryptocurrency mostly affected by the government's measures. Imagine if other countries do the same as the US to try to prevent people from obfuscating their utmost sensitive data. How will developers carry on with crypto projects if the whole space will be deemed illegal? Their only option would be to continue developing "under the radar", but we all know this won't work especially when most crypto projects have their team members' identities publicly viewable across the web.

That said, do you think BTC will still survive after an encryption/cryptography ban comes into effect? Will such a law be approved by the US and other countries? What will be the implications for the development of the crypto/Blockchain industry? Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[NotFuzzyWarm]

Heavens forbid you post a few links to what 'you read somewhere'.....
Without examples you are just posting worthless trash and personal speculation.

[Oshosondy]

Probably because people wish the government to regulate cryptocurrencies would have been the reason there are rumours that the US government want to ban cryptography/encryption but that is not going to happen. If it is banned, it means no cryptocurrencies  that would be created in US again, which is not possible. Regulating altcoins is different from banning encryption.

[jackg]

I think there were reports that some people who are yet to discover fire that have been voted into the governments (the US have the most, other countries have a few though).

If encryption is banned, the Internet collapses. You're not accessing Facebook because Facebook can't fund itself anymore (the companies who used to pay to get Facebook to target their ads towards them are no longer doing it because they can just wiretap all the information they want from users and place their own targeted ads).

Every time you access the Internet now, you're given the site you want after 20 refreshes (sometimes), before then you're either getting a time out error (likely due to ddos and bad packet management because servers can't use keys to regulate that/verify users a real) or you're getting an ad to somewhere else or just a blank page because someone somewhere wants to see if they can do it (anyone can pretend to be a dns server if they want and point you wherever they like now SSL is no longer a thing).

[tranthidung]

I've read somewhere about the US proposing a ban on cryptography/encryption algorithms for good.

For good? What for?

They try to hide facts as much as possible from the public. Now they are proposing to ban on cryptography/ encryption for good, really? Or it is just for their own good for centralized power?

Doing such a thing will not only mark the end of privacy, but also traditional cryptocurrencies we know and love today. Bitcoin will be the one cryptocurrency mostly affected by the government's measures.

No matter what is solution or tool used by governments, Bitcoin will be their first target if they are aiming at cryptocurrencies. They and we know that Bitcoin is a biggest cryptocurrency, a first successful one in this industry. So if you want to kill an industry, let's start killing its leader first.

That said, do you think BTC will still survive after an encryption/cryptography ban comes into effect? Will such a law be approved by the US and other countries? What will be the implications for the development of the crypto/Blockchain industry? Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I could be wrong but in my opinion, they can not.

They can not ban the Internet, can not ban Tor connection. So will they successfully restrict how people use electricty?

Some countries can do it but having it at global scale is impossible. Fortunately, Bitcoin network is decentralized, globally and it will survive.

[Smack That Ace]

It's unlikely to happen, perhaps they will issue regulations governing bitcoin and crypto trading rather than banning them. When Russia accepted bitcoin and cryptocurrencies partly to evade sanctions and the US did not take any action at that time so there's no reason they should ban it from now on. The world is no longer just America's, the axis of world power is shifting, the US banning something deemed harmful to them is no guarantee that other countries will follow.

[Fundamentals Of]

Yes of course. Becoming illegal doesn't mean that it's going away.

Cocaine was also declared illegal in the US in the early 1900s and it's still abundant there until today. So was meth and other illegal drugs. So were other crimes.

So is there any reason why encryption or cryptography's declaration as illegal would make Bitcoin cease to exist? Can't think of any.

And for heaven's sake, a law such as this would only backfire.

[gunhell16]

I've read somewhere about the US proposing a ban on cryptography/encryption algorithms for good. Doing such a thing will not only mark the end of privacy, but also traditional cryptocurrencies we know and love today. Bitcoin will be the one cryptocurrency mostly affected by the government's measures. Imagine if other countries do the same as the US to try to prevent people from obfuscating their utmost sensitive data. How will developers carry on with crypto projects if the whole space will be deemed illegal? Their only option would be to continue developing "under the radar", but we all know this won't work especially when most crypto projects have their team members' identities publicly viewable across the web.

That said, do you think BTC will still survive after an encryption/cryptography ban comes into effect? Will such a law be approved by the US and other countries? What will be the implications for the development of the crypto/Blockchain industry? Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I just want to ask sir, do you have a source link or article on this thing you say the U.S. did about Cryptocurrency? Because, it seems that this is just a story from your own point of view Sir. It would have been a better discussion if you had references to hold. You know the other community here on this forum will inevitably criticize you for losing any source.

Moreover, Bitcoin has been surviving in the industry for almost ten years and is still being enjoyed
by Bitcoin Enthusiasts in this world we live in today.

[Flexystar]

They surely can’t ban the privacy. The encryption algorithm will always be used industry wide to personal level. Its our right to encrypt the data and have data integrity for smooth running of particular process.

If Government band such encryption algorithm then lets get ready, we can have our hands on Nuclear launch codes, because you know its not allowed to encrypt since its one form of data.

Nah, this will never work.

[pooya87]

I've read somewhere about the US proposing a ban on cryptography/encryption algorithms for good.

Why are you even worried about bitcoin when everything else would die?
Besides bitcoin is global so it won't even matter what US did. On the other hand a lot of companies are located in US like Google, Facebook, Amazon,... these are trillion dollar companies that would die right away if cryptography were banned in United States. Your banking system would fall apart too so digital fiat would cease to exist also. MITM attacks would steal all your information that you communicate over the internet. and a lot more ...

Bitcoin will be the one cryptocurrency mostly affected by the government's measures.

I think you are confusing bitcoin with some centralized shitcoin.

Their only option would be to continue developing "under the radar"

Or the development would continue somewhere else that doesn't have an anti-privacy dictatorship.

[Vaskiy]

Apart from cryptocurrency, 36% of the companies were using the encryption procedure to secure data. It includes government systems too. With such an increased usage, ban over encryption algorithms will lead to collapse of the internet. The much used industries were the finance, medical, bio technology and media. So, such a law isn't gonna pass.

Earlier when internet usage started to increase, there were rumours that it is going to be banned. Same as that now it is over the encryption algorithm as governments were tired of stating we'll ban bitcoin.

[blue Snow]

That said, do you think BTC will still survive after an encryption/cryptography ban comes into effect? Will such a law be approved by the US and other countries? What will be the implications for the development of the crypto/Blockchain industry? Your input will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I believe bitcoin will still survive with or without a ban. we have already a long time here, so we don't need surprise about any kind of ban, what else if only 1 country, and sometimes even if it's a superpower country, infrequent other countries follow them because has other basic rules for each them which is different culture and tradition. And sometimes if a country wants to implement that rules, will be detained in the people's council.

[davis196]

Banning encryption/cryptography sounds like the dumbest idea ever.
Do you think that the idiots, who are proposing such ban know that encryption/cryptography is the foundation of online security?
How is everyone going to shop online, if the connection isn't encrypted? Do you want your CC info to be leaked and become publicly available on the web. I'm not an expert in online security, but I think that online crimes such as carding would become way easier to conduct, if online encryption gets banned.
And no, such ban won't destroy Bitcoin completely. The fact that something is banned doesn't mean that the people won't stop using it.

[NeuroticFish]

I've read somewhere about the US proposing a ban on cryptography/encryption algorithms for good.

This is utterly dumb. I don't know where you've heard that, but I'm 99.999999% sure you've misunderstood something. The world of computers relies on encryption, else the hackers would steal everything, from your police record to your bank and credit card information, from impersonating the president to stealing/using the nuke codes.
It's like banning all the fences and locks. You've misunderstood something. Badly.

[franky1]

I've read somewhere about the US proposing a ban on cryptography/encryption algorithms for good.

dont fear the lies


websites with HTTPS use encryption
your phones antenna sending your texts and voice calls use encryption to send the data to the 4/5g(LTE) phone masts
your debit card data uses encryption at the merchant tap&pay terminal to the bank

if encryption was banned. you got bigger problems where many many many many things in the world would get banned

so dont be fooled into silly stories that encryption will be banned
its these days, like saying "proposal to ban english"

[tabas]

We have been experiencing these bans and proclaiming that bitcoin is illegal in some countries. Did that able to stop the entire bitcoin network and as well as the other projects network? No.
That means, whether it will be from the US or any other country. The impact will be there as shock for the first time but that won't mean in the long term because if it's about the market and usability, it will recover and will remain.

[D ltr]

as strong as the US is in government , in my mind they can't baned cryptographic algorithms because the more banned the more people are looking for it like before some say cocaine is illegal but in many countries.  I think cocaine and btc are the same the more banned the more people want to have it . maybe they want to buy btc at the lowest price for this year (just my thoughts sorry)

[slackovic]

I don't think that anyone will ever ban cryptographic algorithms because they are not used only in cryptocurrencies. The only thing that could be a threat to cryptographic algorithms and to cryptocurrencies are quantum computers. I didn't do any research about it and I don't know how developed is that technology, but I think that is the only threat for now.

[hZti]

I think you kind of misunderstood what they want to ban, since they can not just ban everything that is encrypted, because then every website server or whatever would be completely open to be hacked from everyone. So for this to also affect bitcoin they must specifically ban bitcoin which I don't think will happen.

[DooMAD]

I think there were reports that some people who are yet to discover fire that have been voted into the governments (the US have the most, other countries have a few though).

Yep, this is very much a "your government has too many old fossils who don't understand technology in it" problem.  The same conversation came up in the UK parliament years ago.  David Cameron outlined his government's plans to ban encryption in 2015.  I laughed at their collective stupidity and naturally nothing ever came of it.  Encryption is just math.  You can't ban numbers, even if your government are cretins and believe they can.  Reality will give them a good hard slap across the face in due time.