Skip to main content

WTF Crypto-Anarchy??

Crypto-anarchism is a political ideology that advocates the use of cryptography and other technologies to protect individual privacy, freedom, and autonomy from state interference. Crypto-anarchists believe that by encrypting their communications and transactions, we can create a decentralized and voluntary society that is immune to censorship, surveillance, and taxation. The term crypto-anarchism was coined by Timothy C. May in his 1988 "Crypto Anarchist Manifesto", where he declared: "Crypto Anarchy is the cyberspatial realization of anarchism, transcending national boundaries and freeing individuals to make the economic arrangements they wish, consensually." May was one of the founders of the cypherpunk movement, a group of activists and hackers who promoted the use of cryptography and digital currencies to challenge the authority of governments and corporations. The cypherpunks were influenced by libertarian and anarchist thinkers such as Murray Rothbard, David

Using Your Bitcoin





So we've got a wallet, we've invested in it, now what? Honest answer, start looking at all of the avenues to use your crypto. You will quickly realize that it's a lot like walking through your favorite store with $1000 cash in your pocket, the potential is limitless and the rabbit hole only gets deeper.

First and foremost, run a quick search for "vendors accept Bitcoin", what do you see? A relatively impressive, broad, and tempting list of companies. The list has grown substantially since around 2014, and includes a number of sites that appeal to the type of cyber enthusiast who would be attracted to crypto in the first place, places like The Pirate Bay, Newegg, and ExpressVPN. Additionally you can order Domino's Pizza, buy knick knacks off Etsy, or shop on Amazon.


For those who can't find a preferred vendor that explicitly accepts Bitcoin, well there are other options. For one, you can get a cryptocurrency debit card. Most operate on one of two methods for funding the card. You either have a crypto wallet that connects directly to the card, the type of service Coinbase offers, though not currently available in the US. The other option is to fund the card by depositing crypto into a card specific wallet, the type of service offered by bitpay. Generally, either method will convert your cryptocurrency at the time of purchase when used at any debit card accepting vendor.

All of this is pretty cool isn't it, especially if you're new investment wallet has gone from say $1000, to $1300 in value, you're practically able to spend free money at any place you'd like. What does all this mean for the future of cryptocurrency? Great question, and the answer is something that was foreseen a decade ago, when Bitcoin was started as a ledger. It means that Bitcoin will indefinitely become the most attractive, and most used currency worldwide. It's impossible to regulate so it's not subject to manipulation by Government, plain and simple. It gives humanity a way of holding onto what is truly theirs, tax free. Of course you'll be extorted into reporting your earnings on crypto, but why would you do that?

The operating platform for cryptocurrency is unmatched by any other currency to ever exist. Given enough time, and enough information shared about cryptocurrency, a large number of assets will be liquidated into cryptocurrency in some way, shape or form. As of 2017, the global market cap for money was greater than $80 trillion, that's only money, it does not include all other types of assets like gold, stocks, and real estate. The market cap for Bitcoin alone is currently at around $200 billion. When global markets begin to crash due to inflation and Government manipulation/intervention, there won't be a complete loss of value in the livelihoods of billions of people. That value has to go somewhere, and when cryptocurrency is so easy and available for use, well just do the math. The current price for 1 BTC is around $11,500, so in an ideal scenario where literally all value in fiat currency is siphoned into Bitcoin, you're looking at 1 BTC holding a value of $4.6 million. That's not an outrageous estimation, of course not all of that value will go into Bitcoin alone, there are other cryptocurrencies out there, but I didn't even account for the liquidation of real estate or stocks, which together hold much more value than money.

Cryptocurrency has an incredibly bright future, and in turn so does humanity.

Follow me on Twitter: @pop_toy


Find a list of useful links and citations for my market cap numbers below:

https://www.coinbase.com/card

https://bitpay.com/card/

https://www.coindesk.com/price/bitcoin

https://money.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-money-markets-one-visualization-2017/






Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Economics of BTC Maximalism

BTC maximalism is a flawed doctrine, fallacious in numerous respects.  First, if you'd prefer to hear these arguments in audio, check out this recent episode of ABNP , where @mrpseu & I discused these same topics.  Also, a qualifier: I'm not capable of making, defending or refuting technical arguments. I'll leave that aspect of the debate to others. My concerns with BTC maximalism are entirely economic and can be divided into four areas.  Based on the criteria for saleability as laid out by the austrian school, BTC is not the most marketable digital commodity. A lack of portability relative to other cryptocurrencies implies BTC isn't as sound of a commodity.  Value storage is a secondary function of money and cannot satisfy the use-value requirement of regression theorem.  BTC maximalism lays waste to the Hayekian notion of competition as a discovery procedure. This final point was addressed in detail on episode 50 of The Agora, Crypto-Economics

Weathering With You: An Agorist Perspective

If someone asked you what your favorite emotion was, how do you think you’d answer? For many people, I suspect they would answer “Happiness”, “Joy'', or some variant of exclusively positive emotion. Someone may think more meticulously and answer with “Contentment”, which while a positive emotion has a lot of nuance attached to it. However my answer to that question is what I feel others would consider more orthodox: Bittersweet. Pleasure accompanied by suffering, not exactly most people’s first pick but from my perspective pain is necessary in order to enjoy the pleasure that life gives you. Perhaps I'm over-romanticizing but there’s something to desire from looking back fondly at times where you were hurting and seeing yourself in a better place in the present. Perhaps you finally have moved on from “The one who got away” and can look back on those times with fondness. Perhaps you are sharing stories of a friend or family member at their funeral and though they may never w

5 Simple Ways to Support the Counter-Economy

Even if you aren’t prepared to engage in radical counter-economics, there are small steps everyone can take to either participate in, or at a minimum, support the counter-economy. I’ve assembled a list of 5 simple ways everyday people can participate in the agorist revolution. Food Trucks Food trucks not only often have excellent food, but they can also help push back against the state. In what is normally a cash business, food truck operators are better positioned to hide income from the state than other vendors such as chain grocery stores. Also, the more amateur the operation, the more likely the vendor is unlicensed; see the 7 year old NY child-slave, who’s lemonade stand was shut down by emissaries from Emperor Cuomo. Given the grey market dominance of the food truck business, it’s no wonder we’ve seen the industry blossom over the past couple decades. Food trucks have progressed from the standard roach coach to the present diverse array of taco trucks, gr