Thread by @aantonop

A lot of people who are into cryptocurrencies will see this FinCen leak as vindication and proof that banks are money launderers.

But, this will be used against cryptocurrencies...

1/

See the correct analysis of this news is that AML/CTF and KYC don't work. They will never work because they try to control the *tool* not the *criminal act*. It's not the money that is illicit, it's the use of that money to commit crimes.

2/

I've talked about this extensively. Not only is the use of money as a crime-control mechanism ineffective, it has terrible consequences that increase poverty for billions by creating economic exclusion. So it's not just useless, it is "Worse than Useless"

3/

"Worse than Useless" is the title of a talk I gave about this topic. For the illusion of unatainable security and crime fighting we get two obvious and unavoidable results: billions cut out of the financial system and enormous corrupting power given to regulators and bankers.

4/

But despite this obvious truth, nothing is going to change. In fact, this report will be used to *increase* the use of controls and surveillance. In govt if something doesn't work, you do MORE of it. So this will result in stricter AML/CTF rules.

5/

These new rules will also not work. These new rules will also corrupt more bankers, regulators, cops and politicians. These new rules will destroy opportunity for millions more people. But they will offer the comfort of righteous rhetoric against evil while creating more evil

6/

As these new rules are applied, banking will become even harder for poor people, undocumented people and people on the fringes of society. It won't stop criminals from criming. It will stop poor people from rising out of poverty. It will make banks even more competition-proof

7/

These new rules will make government surveillance worse and will erode democratic institutions. They will make it possible for dictators to economically surveil, control, and eventually extinguish any opposition. They will use US surveillance tech to impose financial fascism

8/

Then of course, the need and value of open financial systems based on open, private, and uncensorable cryptocurrencies will increase dramatically. When all the money in the world has been deliberately broken to serve this unachievable goal, the only money that works is crypto

9/

More and more people will need to use cryptocurrency in order to participate in the global economy, because control-currency doesn't work as money. A medium of exchange can't also work as a medium of control. They break money to stop crime, even though it is a futile effort

10/

That makes crypto-currency a systemic threat, not to the economic nature of national money, but to the control and surveillance system of geopolitical money. Math money doesn't play politics, which makes it automatically "rogue" money.

11/

Open and private crypto-currencies won't comply with these regulations, because they CAN'T comply without breaking every feature and capability they have. If some try to comply they will have to compete against gov-crypto and facebook-crypto (they will lose)

12/

Then the war on cash and the war on "illicit" money becomes an all out war on the only money that still works. The free, open, borderless, neutral, immutable, censorship resistant money that crypto-currencies like Bitcoin offer

13/

The only type of money (crypto) that poor, undocumented, oppressed, and controlled populations can use will of course be attacked. But they will not have any choice but to continue to use cryptocurrency. Billions are already unbanked by fiat controls.

14/

This FinCen leak is worthy of our ridicule because it reveals the hypocrisy of those who argue that crypto-currency is for money launderers. Banking *is* money laundering on a massive scale. But the solution is not to tighten controls on money. That won't work

15/

The solution is to stop trying to use money (a tool) to fight crime (human nature). But if you think the hypocrites will back down and adopt sensible systems and laws that enable human trade and economic inclusion, you are wrong. They will double down with even more control

This isn't good news. This is the excuse they will use to double down on surveillance and control. To make money a tool of naked political power. No matter how many billions these measures condemn to poverty.

Watch "Worse than Useless" on Youtube:

Also "Money as a system of control"

Also on the issue of moral responsibility:

"Universal Access to Basic Finance"