If the powers that be….

[ukaddict]

If the powers that be wished to execute Bitcoin off the face of the earth, they effectively could but it got me thinking that this would elevate it to another level of power.

In theory I’m thinking that all internet providers could effectively terminate anyone running or executing code relating to Bitcoin and then subsequently this would take it offline.

Unless the satellites were to be rocketed up by Tom dick and Harry or however they make the internet possible? Does this make sense?

[freedomgo]

In theory I’m thinking that all internet providers could effectively terminate anyone running or executing code relating to Bitcoin and then subsequently this would take it offline.

I like your imagination, but that’s not necessary. If you want to see Bitcoin die in the future, regulation is the key. If governments worldwide declare Bitcoin illegal and enforce severe penalties, such as serious jail time for anyone caught using it in any way, people will stop using Bitcoin.

[_act_]

In theory I’m thinking that all internet providers could effectively terminate anyone running or executing code relating to Bitcoin and then subsequently this would take it offline.

Do not forget that Tor can be used to mask it. Many nodes are connected to Tor.

I like your imagination, but that’s not necessary. If you want to see Bitcoin die in the future, regulation is the key. If governments worldwide declare Bitcoin illegal and enforce severe penalties, such as serious jail time for anyone caught using it in any way, people will stop using Bitcoin.

Which is not possible as more people are liking bitcoin. These people included leaders, regulators and everyone. Bitcoin is designed in a way that more people will like it.

[Ambatman]

If governments worldwide declare Bitcoin illegal and enforce severe penalties, such as serious jail time for anyone caught using it in any way, people will stop using Bitcoin.

This is purely theoretical
While some might see it as a threat others might see it as an opportunity
So getting a unanimous decision to ban Bitcoin is highly unlikely especially with its popularity Now.

In theory I’m thinking that all internet providers could effectively terminate anyone running or executing code relating to Bitcoin and then subsequently this would take it offline.

It is possible for powerful entities to make Bitcoin much harder to use and disrupt some part of the network
But completely shorting it down is extraordinarily difficult
Because of it's decentralized system, alternative method to communicate and it's current trend of global adoption.

[BIT-BENDER]

In theory I’m thinking that all internet providers could effectively terminate anyone running or executing code relating to Bitcoin and then subsequently this would take it offline.

I like your imagination, but that’s not necessary. If you want to see Bitcoin die in the future, regulation is the key. If governments worldwide declare Bitcoin illegal and enforce severe penalties, such as serious jail time for anyone caught using it in any way, people will stop using Bitcoin.

That's another imagination that can never happen. I don't see all government coming together for a particular reason as to declare Bitcoin illegal this can only happen if the world is under one power and that is still far fetched. Also Bitcoin has gotten so much adoption that if you want to lock up Bitcoin enthusiast there might not be enough prison facilities to handle that and also top government individuals are already now involved in crypto-currency. In a nutshell those imaginations are impossible.

[hugeblack]

It is the hardest way to stop Bitcoin as the network does not depend on internet providers alone to stay active, you can use satellite internet, encapsulate the connection through a second layer or any of the methods to complete the synchronization.


The easiest way is to impose uniform regulatory restrictions that weaken the mining pools and then create centralized mining pools with blacklists.

[FatFork]

In theory I’m thinking that all internet providers could effectively terminate anyone running or executing code relating to Bitcoin and then subsequently this would take it offline.

In theory, all nodes can be routed through the Tor network (many already are), so it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to completely shut down Bitcoin. Even if governments and internet providers tried to censor it, the decentralized nature of Bitcoin would make it incredibly resilient.

I believe they would effectively have to shut down, or heavily censor, the entire internet to shut down the Bitcoin network.

[Churchillvv]

I think we've past the stage of thinking the possibility of bitcoin getting entirely shutdown as those who are to work with the internet providers to bring bitcoin down are becoming more bitcoin friendly.

Perhaps it's almost impossible to have bitcoin shutdown entirely even if their is a uniform regulation.

[cryptoaddictchie]

I think we've past the stage of thinking the possibility of bitcoin getting entirely shutdown as those who are to work with the internet providers to bring bitcoin down are becoming more bitcoin friendly.

Perhaps it's almost impossible to have bitcoin shutdown entirely even if their is a uniform regulation.

What if theres no internet anymore will bitcoin potentially run? Maybe its impossible to make it happened but what if it thats the case.

An era where internet will be down and those bitcoin will be stopped or not? Curious to see how bitcoin can turn off or shutdown. Im sure this was discussed here already and its possibility is minimal, but still curious to know.

[Reatim]

In theory I’m thinking that all internet providers could effectively terminate anyone running or executing code relating to Bitcoin and then subsequently this would take it offline.

I like your imagination, but that’s not necessary. If you want to see Bitcoin die in the future, regulation is the key. If governments worldwide declare Bitcoin illegal and enforce severe penalties, such as serious jail time for anyone caught using it in any way, people will stop using Bitcoin.

That is giving a lot of trust and hope to humanity. There are so many things proclaimed illegal now but we still see people doing it and some even getting away with it what makes you think they would stop using bitcoin with only as a threat of jail time?

As long as it benefits them they will still try and do it and hope that they don’t get caught and if they do then they’ll just have to deal with it. It will be hard for sure but even now illegal things are still done discreetly.

[BlackHatCoiner]

It's not very difficult. It's impossible.

To stop something you need to have a cost effective procedure that traces those people that do it. Bitcoin nodes communicate both unencrypted (clearnet) and encrypted (Tor), so it's impossible to completely stop the network from operating.

That's it. Simple as that.

[mindrust]

If TPTB decide to destroy btc they might do it actually but I don't think they will because I believe they are already one of those early adopters so they ain't gonna kill the goose that shits gold. These people are smart. We call them TPTB because of that. If they were dumb, we wouldn't do that. Since most smart people are early bitcoin adopters, I don't think TPTB missed that train either. They knew about bitcoin and heavily invested in it before any average Joe probably. Trump will become the president in the US soon so crypto has a big supporter in white house now. I don't think they can dare it even if they wanted to.

[Victorybit1]

It's not very difficult. It's impossible.

To stop something you need to have a cost effective procedure that traces those people that do it. Bitcoin nodes communicate both unencrypted (clearnet) and encrypted (Tor), so it's impossible to completely stop the network from operating.

That's it. Simple as that.

Don't say it's impossible, trying visualizing a nuclear outbreak between two edging nations in the world and you would have a deterred usage of the entire internet and eve the satellite internet  . At this moment am just going to the worst possible situation although I understand that how evolved the whole technology has become as Bitcoin is like an untouchable innovation as the whole world has their hand deep into its benefits and for sure also protect it from the worse possible situation.

[sunsilk]

What you're thinking is real doomsday destruction or some giant comets hit us entirely and we'll be exterminated from living?

That's when Bitcoin will stop its operation if the type of destruction you want to see is like that. But it's true that there's a peaceful way of doing it as explained through regulation of the superpowers.

Are we going to see that? we saw it before but they cannot stop it when it's the entirety of the globe that are participating on its network to keep it running.

[BlackHatCoiner]

Don't say it's impossible, trying visualizing a nuclear outbreak between two edging nations in the world and you would have a deterred usage of the entire internet and eve the satellite internet  .

OK, sorry. Unless a nuclear outbreak happens, or aliens invade the planet, or a meteor strikes the Earth. 

Practically, it is virtually impossible to stop Bitcoin without causing significant harm to yourself. If you were to deliberately sever the internet connection with the rest of the world, the least of people's concerns would be their inability to send Bitcoin transactions. Such an action would lead to a complete financial collapse.

[Ambatman]

Don't say it's impossible, trying visualizing a nuclear outbreak between two edging nations in the world and you would have a deterred usage of the entire internet and eve the satellite internet 

These can't really stop it. If two nations head into war via nuclear weapons there would be places and nodes that won't be affected
And even if the traditional internet shuts down
It would still be almost impossible to stop it because people could still transact through local network, or satellite foe Bitcoin created by Blockstream or through a mesh system.
Though it could affect it, in the long-run Bitcoin principles makes it hard to 'kill'.

OK, sorry. Unless a nuclear outbreak happens, or aliens invade the planet, or a meteor strikes the Earth. 

The Aliens may get fascinated by the system
Who knows

[Ever-young]

Practically, it is virtually impossible to stop Bitcoin without causing significant harm to yourself. If you were to deliberately sever the internet connection with the rest of the world, the least of people's concerns would be their inability to send Bitcoin transactions. Such an action would lead to a complete financial collapse.

That's very correct. I think I have engaged in a discussion relating to this before here in the forum; people can't stop thinking about things that matter to them and be thinking about bitcoin transactions and how they can't possibly go through when there are more pressing matters to be worried about, as the majority of the world population will be affected and the world will be in serious chaos.

[nakamura12]

This is kind of similar to what if the internet will shutdown because of the solar flare, what will happen to bitcoin?. The answer is also similar to the answers on that thread before which is to use satellite since internet is no longer usable.

[Mia Chloe]

I like your imagination, but that’s not necessary. If you want to see Bitcoin die in the future, regulation is the key. If governments worldwide declare Bitcoin illegal and enforce severe penalties, such as serious jail time for anyone caught using it in any way, people will stop using Bitcoin.

Well the truth is it's going to take more than regulations to bring down bitcoin so easy. Like literally, bitcoin is one of the most expensive assets in the world that has a supply cap of almost 2 trillion dollars which even got exceeded when we crossed $100k. It would be difficult for all the government around the whole world to all of a sudden from nowhere to just pick up the aim to wipe bitcoin off the digital era except there is a master plan to it like some revolution.

Some countries have their richest set of citizens as whales wether declared or undeclared and killing bitcoin is like killing the economy of such countries. For Op's idea to literally play out it's more like saying wiping the internet into a clean slate.

[Darker45]

There are many ways for Bitcoin to die. But if it's the powers that be that erase Bitcoin off the face of the earth, it's going to be next to impossible. They couldn't even eliminate terrorism and drugs and whatnot. How could they eliminate Bitcoin? It's distributed. It has a different level of resiliency.

Well, perhaps if they commit a suicide and turn the entire earth into a dystopian mess, Bitcoin might die, somehow at least, or temporarily. We might lose access to it if we don't have electricity or internet but as soon as the technologies and the infrastructures are back, a node could once again run. The history remains intact.