Mixer restrictions

[hugeblack]

I think it’s time we discuss again whether there’s any chance for mixer services to be allowed back on bitcointalk soon.

After eXch signature ban (even though it's not a mixer), I believe the forum's admin was responding to SEC requests (they've been very active in banning cryptocurrency-related privacy services).

Overall, I haven't seen much activity^[1] in the past few months, so an update is a good thing.


[1] https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases?page=0
[1] https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases?page=8

[NotATether]

After eXch signature ban (even though it's not a mixer), I believe the forum's admin was responding to SEC requests (they've been very active in banning cryptocurrency-related privacy services).

What the fuck...

I hope that was only under Gary Gensler and not the new guy who's running the SEC now. Even though there is a chance that this is not true and the forum has not been talking to the SEC, I don't like how they can just go in and simply try to bully the admin into censoring services they don't like.

[mrust_mobile]

Is there a man on earth the SEC can’t bully?

President Putin maybe.

Everyone else are slaves. Even the non-US citizens and their presidents.

[JollyGood]

I am unaware of the background to the ANN thread you refer to but do you really think it is time to discuss whether mixers could be allowed to operate campaign services in the forum again? It seems as though nothing significant has changed therefore there is nothing to discuss. Also, we know theymos has stated his opinion.

The reason I’m posting here is because I thought bitcointalk was slowly starting to allow mixers again, but based on what happened with Limbo and their ANN thread and even the signature campaign being deleted like instead of just locking or editing the title like before, so it seems very unlikely that mixers will allowed again here in bitcointalk soon.

I think it’s time we discuss again whether there’s any chance for mixer services to be allowed back on bitcointalk soon.

[Shishir99]

After eXch signature ban (even though it's not a mixer), I believe the forum's admin was responding to SEC requests (they've been very active in banning cryptocurrency-related privacy services).

Wait, what?

Was eXch signature banned? If I am not wrong, they closed their service independently and even announced that they would close their operation starting on May 1st. Their signature campaign was up until the very last week of their closing (28th April), and icopress announced that the campaign will be paused on 28th April.

Friends, I just processed the last mini payment.
The campaign is officially paused.

So, it is not true that the eXch signature was banned. The forum admin did nothing for the eXch signature campaign. On 17th April, eXch itself announced that it will be closing its operation on May 1st.

[LoyceV]

Was eXch signature banned?

Only for Mods.

[KingsDen]

I think it’s time we discuss again whether there’s any chance for mixer services to be allowed back on bitcointalk soon.

After eXch signature ban (even though it's not a mixer), I believe the forum's admin was responding to SEC requests (they've been very active in banning cryptocurrency-related privacy services).

Do you mean that theymos is banning cryptocurrency-related privacy services in the forum or you meant SEC is the one banning them. If the former is the case, can you point me to any other banning action taken by theymos after the general mixer ban?
BTW, eXch wasn't actually banned, they stopped operation after the bybit hack implications or allegations.

[bitmover]

Do you mean that theymos is banning cryptocurrency-related privacy services in the forum or you meant SEC is the one banning them. If the former is the case, can you point me to any other banning action taken by theymos after the general mixer ban?
BTW, eXch wasn't actually banned, they stopped operation after the bybit hack implications or allegations.

They were seized. They didn't stop  , they were stopped.

https://www.fiod.nl/bka-and-fiod-shut-down-cryptocurrency-swap-service-exch-e-34-million-in-cryptocurrency-has-been-seized-during-the-operation/

[KingsDen]

Do you mean that theymos is banning cryptocurrency-related privacy services in the forum or you meant SEC is the one banning them. If the former is the case, can you point me to any other banning action taken by theymos after the general mixer ban?
BTW, eXch wasn't actually banned, they stopped operation after the bybit hack implications or allegations.

They were seized. They didn't,  stopped  they were stopped.

https://www.fiod.nl/bka-and-fiod-shut-down-cryptocurrency-swap-service-exch-e-34-million-in-cryptocurrency-has-been-seized-during-the-operation/

My bad!
When I read their thread of closure, even announcing it before time, I concluded their decided to windup until the whole issue was resolved.
Well, I am still hopeful of reinstating mixers because the pressure is very calm in US and also based on theymos statement in the first quarter of this year.

[bitmover]

Perhaps I'm also overthinking it. But this kind of overthinking brought me doubts if Limbo really was a mixer, although I think probably the way it was advertised was the problem.

In my opinion you are overthinking.

Let's not stimulate theymos to overthink as well.

Rules are clear: mixers are banned.
We should not think about how to include different stuff in this rule.

 I think the less services are banned, the better.

[Hatchy]

~snip

I've noticed the admin often evaluates whether a service is a mixer based on phrases like privacy, tainted coins, or send bitcoins to receive clean bitcoin. This makes me wonder if a service like this comes to the forum without openly mentioning those phrases, would it still be considered a mixer?
We all know how the forum works. When a new service appears suddenly, users will question its legitimacy. No one wants to use an untrusted service created by a newbie account.

[d5000]

In my opinion you are overthinking.

I have deleted my question, as I think you are correct and I'd want to prevent unnecessary trouble. I've re-read the OP and my interpretation is that this kind of post should be allowed, as this is not the case in the example I brought up:

It has a feature advertised for [...] improving its privacy

[dkbit98]

I am not a fan of using telegram for anything, including this service that was recently banned from forum, and I don't anything about it,
but I would like to remind theymos that he said lifting of mixer ban will be considered one year after new US administration was established, and we only have few more months for that.

[logfiles]

After noticing the Limbo exchange saga

There is another user who posted about a crypto exchange in the currency exchange board, and he was pretty straight forward about it around the same time. He said that they provided only one service, "cleaning dirty cryptocurrency" - whether due to enforcement action, sanctioned or others.

He didn't get much attention because they didn't attempt to do any signature

That member got his post deleted according to the mod log, but from the look of things, the pressure to fill in the gap left by other popular mixer services is on and it seems so lucrative. Interesting times.

[GeorgeJohn]

I am not a fan of using telegram for anything, including this service that was recently banned from forum, and I don't anything about it,
but I would like to remind theymos that he said lifting of mixer ban will be considered one year after new US administration was established, and we only have few more months for that.

Thats what we are expecting when the lift of mixer ban will be lifed, but with the recent action of theymos and other admin's in limbo exchange signature that were launched few days ago, I don't think that mixers ban can be lift anytime soon. Because if so, limbo exchange would have be considered to operate since it's remaining few months.

[Asiska02]

I am not a fan of using telegram for anything, including this service that was recently banned from forum, and I don't anything about it,
but I would like to remind theymos that he said lifting of mixer ban will be considered one year after new US administration was established, and we only have few more months for that.

Thats what we are expecting when the lift of mixer ban will be lifed, but with the recent action of theymos and other admin's in limbo exchange signature that were launched few days ago, I don't think that mixers ban can be lift anytime soon. Because if so, limbo exchange would have be considered to operate since it's remaining few months.

The ban on mixers is still valid and that was why that action was taken. This doesn’t change the fact that the admin may still lift the ban by January after consideration. So the actions on the Limbo exchange ban won’t have anything directly or indirectly on what the admin’s verdict on mixers will be in few months time to come from now.

[Churchillvv]

I don't like how they can just go in and simply try to bully the admin into censoring services they don't like.

So we are indirectly being controlled too, because there is no theory that can explain this better to me than this, what heck is this? Every privacy related stuffs is a threat to the SEC and possibly should be taken out by all means.

It’s sad that we just have to go through this shit! Anyways most of us already accepted the  fact that mixers banned will probably not come back to the forum and we just have to deal with it and not push things too further.

[nutildah]

After eXch signature ban (even though it's not a mixer), I believe the forum's admin was responding to SEC requests (they've been very active in banning cryptocurrency-related privacy services).

What the fuck...

I hope that was only under Gary Gensler and not the new guy who's running the SEC now. Even though there is a chance that this is not true and the forum has not been talking to the SEC, I don't like how they can just go in and simply try to bully the admin into censoring services they don't like.

I thought theymos said the entire move to ban mixer signatures was a proactive move on his part, in anticipation of something like the SEC or Treasury department contacting him about mixers. Is there a post where he specifically says he was contacted by the SEC? That would be an interesting read as I'm not sure I ever saw such a thing.

Good thing that in the time since it seems the U.S. federal government has actually started moving in the other direction concerning the crackdown on mixing services.

[alani123]

It's clear the current administration is not at all concerned with stopping prosecution of those charged under mixing related charges.
The crypto lobby is Coinbase, Circle, Square et al. They couldn't give a single fuck about your rights. They'd rather see mixers crash and burn because it's something hurting their image and antithetical to how they operate.

For all I know, Samurai devs are still under prosecution based on the charges thrown at them by the previous administration. The only ones having their cases canceled by the Trump admin are big companies.

[Mpamaegbu]

Is there a post where he specifically says he was contacted by the SEC? That would be an interesting read as I'm not sure I ever saw such a thing.

We can only continue to speculate on that, except theymos comes public and furnishes us with that information. Sadly, knowing how theymos doesn't respond quickly, we may not get to know that soon.