Reality Check: What Venezuela’s National Crypto Means for Decentralization (VIDEO)

 

By Ben Swann, Truth in Media | 

President Trump recently announced a ban on Venezuela’s new national cryptocurrency, the petro.

That’s right—Venezuela created its own national crypto, possibly to circumvent U.S. sanctions.

But could the petro do more than that, and actually catalyze government-controlled cryptos around the world?

This is a Reality Check you won’t get anywhere else.

President Trump signed an executive order March 21 banning all transactions involving digital currency issued by the Venezuelan government, after it began pre-selling its own cryptocurrency, the petro, in February.

The petro differs from other cryptos because, according to the Brookings Institute, “The price of one petro is pegged to the price of one barrel of Venezuelan oil…” and “the petro/bolivar exchange rate … includes a discount factor determined by the Venezuelan government.”

By making that distinction, the Venezuelan government is now responsible for managing multiple currency systems simultaneously, creating what Dash Force News Editor Joël Valenzuela described as “an accounting nightmare.”

But isn’t cryptocurrency supposed to make accounting for transactions easier?

Well, actually it’s not the cryptos but the tech they’re built on. A few episodes back, we discussed how cryptocurrency is backed by radical transparency due to the power of the blockchain.

Rather than being backed by radical transparency and being a “trustless system”, as Valenzuela called it, the petro is essentially “fiat crypto.”

“When you back it with something that doesn’t have transparency, you have to trust the party that is providing the assets that back the coin,” according to Valenzuela. “It ruins its original value proposition.”

So why would Venezuela create the petro in the first place?

Once a crypto is a national currency, it’s subject to many tariff barriers and, in some cases, sanctions. Which is why President Trump made the first major national decision by the U.S. to ban a cryptocurrency. But cryptos like Dash aren’t tied to a government and weren’t created to bypass sanctions.

Once the richest nation in Latin America, Venezuela had suffered wild inflation, plummeting the standard of living and causing uproar from poverty stricken citizens. Many Venezuelans facing economic hardship are putting pressure on the government to stop the bleeding.

Anything to ease their suffering in the short term will be a boon to the tyrants, according to Valenzuela. But because the petro is not truly backed by trustlessness, critics say the government crypto won’t last long. And that presents a challenge to other governments considering creating their own cryptos.

Russian President Vladimir Putin already announced his government will issue its own CryptoRuble, likely sometime in mid-2019, according to CoinTelegraph.

The CryptoRuble is supposed to be directly tied to the ruble, issued by the Russian government and could not be mined.

More governments are likely to investigate the benefits of state controlled blockchain technology.

But remember, the two major selling points of blockchain are radical transparency and decentralization, meaning no one can manipulate the supply or the transactions.

And it’s those two aspects of blockchain that governments aren’t fans of.

Recently Congressman Brad Sherman of California read a statement that called cryptocurrencies “harmful,” and appeared to accidentally admit that cryptocurrency reduces government control of our currency. He said, “It hurts the U.S. government in two ways. Our contr… …our ability to have the US dollar be the chief means of international finance is what has underpinned our ability to impose sanctions…”

So Sherman doesn’t like the lack of “contr…” that the government has over crypto.

But on the other hand, imagine if the U.S. decided to use blockchain to track how our tax dollars are spent. Remember when the Pentagon admitted earlier this year that it couldn’t account for hundreds of millions of dollars?

What could help prevent data loss like this? The blockchain.

Corporations are already testing out the tech to prevent major data breaches like what happened to Target, Home Depot, JP Morgan, Anthem and others.

John Oliver explained the power of the blockchain in a recent episode of his show “Last Week Tonight.” He said, “The blockchain… a database that is nearly impossible to hack or tamper with, and which could possibly improve security, efficiency and trust. That is why big companies like Wal-Mart, IBM and JP Morgan have all been experimenting with blockchain as a way to potentially share and secure data transactions in a reliable, easy to access way.”

So what you need to know is that the blockchain presents an opportunity for governments to create a more transparent financial system. But Venezuela isn’t really doing that with the petro.

The crypto market has and will continue to fluctuate. Some crypto will disappear, some will stick around.

The question is, who is going to control the crypto? If governments do… they will take away the freedom of crypto… but if crypto currencies remain decentralized, then we will be able to keep a radically transparent financial system for the people.

That’s Reality Check. Let’s talk about that, right now, on Twitter and Facebook.

The post Reality Check: What Venezuela’s National Crypto Means for Decentralization (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

WATCH: Congressman Accidentally Admits Cryptocurrencies Threaten Govt’s “Control” Over You

In what can be called a Freudian slip, a US congressman accidentally admitted that the government is scared of the blockchain because it makes it harder for them to control you.

The post WATCH: Congressman Accidentally Admits Cryptocurrencies Threaten Govt’s “Control” Over You appeared first on The Free Thought Project.

JPMorgan & BofA Admit “Disruptive Threat” Of Cryptocurrency To Their Business

This report was originally published by Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge

Having explained why central banks are so nervous about cryptocurrencies, it seems the rest of the banking sector is finally admitting the real driver behind their disdain for digital currencies – they are competition and an existential threat.

As CoinTelegraph’s Molly Jane Zuckerman reports, J.P. Morgan Chase has added a segment on cryptocurrencies to the “Risk Factor” section of their 2017 annual report to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), filed yesterday, Feb. 27.

The annual report mentions cryptocurrencies under the “Competition” subsection when describing how new competitors have emerged that threaten J.P. Morgan’s operations:

“Both financial institutions and their non-banking competitors face the risk that payment processing and other services could be disrupted by technologies, such as cryptocurrencies, that require no intermediation.”

The report notes that these new technologies, evidently including Blockchain, although they don’t mention it by name, “could require JPMorgan Chase to spend more to modify or adapt its products to attract and retain clients and customers or to match products and services offered by its competitors, including technology companies.”

This competition could potentially “put downward pressure on prices and fees for JPMorgan Chase’s products and services or may cause JPMorgan Chase to lose market share.”

J.P. Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon had made waves back in September 2017, when he called Bitcoin (BTC) a “fraud” and threatened to fire any employee that traded BTC on company accounts. Since then, Dimon has backtracked slightly, telling a Cointelegraph reporter at the Davos World Economic Forum that he is not a “skeptic” on cryptocurrencies.

In the beginning of February, an alleged internal report from J.P. Morgan Chase referred to cryptocurrencies as “innovative” and “unlikely to disappear”, also noting cryptocurrency’s potential to be successfully applied to payment system areas that are traditionally problematic or slow, such as cross-border payments.

JPMorgan is not alone, as TruthInMedia.com’s Brendan Weber reports, in Bank of America’s new annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the corporation largely reflected internally about a number of economic, geopolitical, and operational risks faced.

One of those stated risks is surrounding the increased adaptation of cryptocurrencies, which could have negative effects on the corporation’s earning potential.

In addition, technological advances and the growth of e-commerce have made it easier for non-depository institutions to offer products and services that traditionally were banking products, and for financial institutions to compete with technology companies in providing electronic and internet-based financial solutions including electronic securities trading, marketplace lending and payment processing. Further, clients may choose to conduct business with other market participants who engage in business or offer products in areas we deem speculative or risky, such as cryptocurrencies. Increased competition may negatively affect our earnings by creating pressure to lower prices or credit standards on our products and services requiring additional investment to improve the quality and delivery of our technology and/or reducing our market share, or affecting the willingness of our clients to do business with us.

Increased adaptation of cryptocurrencies also had Bank of America admitting that it may need to make “substantial expenditures” to compete with these rising technologies:

In addition, the widespread adoption of new technologies, including internet services, cryptocurrencies and payment systems, could require substantial expenditures to modify or adapt our existing products and services as we grow and develop our internet banking and mobile banking channel strategies in addition to remote connectivity solutions.

Bank of America might have already taken action to help counter these technologies by banning cryptocurrency transactions on their credit cards.

Additionally, the document stated concerns besides those directly affecting earning potential; they noted that emerging cryptocurrencies could impact Bank of America’s compliance with anti-money laundering regulations:

In addition to non-U.S. legislation, our international operations are also subject to U.S. legal requirements. For example, our international operations are subject to U.S. laws on foreign corrupt practices, the Office of Foreign Assets Control, know-your-customer requirements and anti-money laundering regulations. Emerging technologies, such as cryptocurrencies, could limit our ability to track the movement of funds. Our ability to comply with these laws is dependent on our ability to improve detection and reporting capabilities and reduce variation in control processes and oversight accountability.

Even though cryptocurrencies were a small mention within the entire report, its brief discussion indicated that the company is both aware of and reacting to the further potential impacts of cryptocurrency.

Here’s Why Banks Hate Cryptocurrencies

This report was originally published by Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge

Banks like to pretend that they’re so much more established and secure than the world of cryptocurrencies, but as anybody who pays close attention to the headlines would know…that’s just not the case…

Setting aside all of their rhetoric about embracing the blockchain, banks have mostly avoided or opposed cryptos (Goldman Sachs, sensing the opportunity for profit, is one notable exception), often citing their volatility and the ease with which they can be used to launder money as qualities that disqualify them from being taken seriously (though, as we recently witnessed with the US dollar, perhaps banks need to rework this volatility argument a bit).  Even yesterday’s announcement of the first criminal charges against a cryptocurrency trader pales in comparison to the many, many crimes that banks (or even one bank) have settled allegations of. The real answer to why the banks’ dislike cryptocurrencies is probably because they feel threatened. The recent selloff notwithstanding, the rise of cryptocurrencies has continued unabated, despite the efforts of some of the most powerful governments on Earth, while the concept is still very young, it does have potential to shake up the aging fiat system. In order to understand the race between the banks and cryptocurrencies, we developed a visual to see just how “David” is comparing to “Goliath.”

Using data from Yahoo Finance and CoinMarketCap.com, HowMuch.com‘s data team developed a visual that compares the market caps between some of the world’s largest banks and the largest cryptocurrencies. On the left blue column, there are four banks listed from largest to smallest market caps: JPMorgan Chase, Bank of China, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley. Conversely, the right red column features the total cryptocurrency market, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, NEO, Ripple, Bitcoin Cash, Cardano, and Stellar. The larger the circle, the bigger the market cap.

Total Crypto Market Exceeds Size Of JPMorgan; Banks Fight Back In Attempt To Slow Growth

After an extraordinarily volatile (even for bitcoin) start to the year, cryptocurrencies are rallying once again, with bitcoin breaking above $10,000. As of Feb. 16, 2018, the crypto market had a market cap of $470 billion – larger than the size of the United States’ largest bank, JPMorgan Chase.

Bitcoin’s market cap alone is comparable to Bank of China’s. The second largest cryptocurrency by market cap, Ethereum, is comparable in size to Morgan Stanley. It is stats like these that have the global banking sector worried that cryptocurrencies are on track to make a serious impact on their operations.

One of the most recent efforts to help slow the pace of crypto growth were announcements from several banks saying that customers could no longer purchase digital currency with their credit cards. Berkshire Hathaway’s Charlie Munger has called Bitcoin “totally asinine” and Warren Buffet has said he would “buy a five-year put on every cryptocurrency.”

Overall, cryptocurrencies are seeing their size and value top even some of the largest financial institutions in the world. This has caused banks to fight back and attempt to slow their growth. However, even banks clearly don’t know what they really want. After JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon famously declared Bitcoin a “fraud”, it is interesting to now see a report published by the investment bank that calls Bitcoin-based ETFs the “holy grail for owners and investors.”

And should the bitcoin ETF become a reality, do you really think banks will turn down those lucrative fees?

What do you think?

What The Crypto Crash & Stock Market Plunge Have In Common

This article was originally published by Adam Taggart at PeakProsperity.com

Today saw Jerome Powell sworn into office as the new Chairman of the Federal Reserve, replacing Janet Yellen. Looking at the sea of red across Monday’s financial markets, Mr. Powell is very likely *not* having the sort of first day on the job he was hoping for…

Also having a rough start to the week is anyone with a long stock position or a cryptocurrency portfolio.

The Dow Jones closed down over 1,200 points today, building off of Friday’s plunge of 666 points. The relentless ascension of stock prices has suddenly jolted into reverse, delivering the biggest 2-day drop stocks have seen in years.

But that’s nothing compared to the bloodletting we’re seeing in the cryptocurrency space. The price of Bitcoin just broke below $7,000 moments ago, now nearly two-thirds lower from its $19,500 high reached in mid-December. Other coins, like Ripple, are seeing losses of closer to 80% over the same time period. That’s a tremendous amount of carnage in such a short window of time.

And while stocks and cryptos are very different asset classes, the underlying force driving their price corrections is the same — a change in sentiment.

Both markets had entered bubble territory (stocks much longer ago than the cryptos), and once they did, their continued price action became dependent on sentiment much more so than any underlying fundaments.

The Anatomy Of A Price Bubble

History is quite clear on how bubble markets behave.

On the way up, a virtuous cycle is created where quick, outsized gains become the rationale that attracts more capital into the market, driving prices up further and even faster. A mania ensues where everyone who missed out on the earlier gains jumps in to buy regardless of the price, desperate not to be left behind (this is called fear of missing out, or “FOMO”).

This mania produces a last, magnificent spike in price — called a “blow-off” top — which is then immediately followed by an equally sharp reversal. The reversal occurs because there are simply no remaining new desperate investors left to sell to. The marginal buyer has suddenly switched from the “greater fool” to the increasingly cautious investor.

Those sitting on early gains and looking to cash out near the top start selling. They don’t mind dropping the price a bit to get out. So the price continues downwards, spooking more and more folks to start selling what they have. Suddenly, the virtuous cycle that drove prices to their zenith has now metastasized into a vicious cycle of selling, driving prices lower and lower as panicking investors give up on their dreams of easy riches and increasingly scramble to limit their mounting losses.

In the end, the market price retraces nearly all of the gains made, leaving a small cadre of now-rich early investors who managed to get out near the top, and a large despondent pool of ‘everyone else’.

We’ve seen this same compressed bell-curve shape in every major asset bubble in financial history:

And we’re seeing it play out in real-time now in both stocks and cryptos.

The Bursting Crypto Bubble

It’s amazing how fast asset price bubbles can pop.

Just a month ago, the Internet was replete with articles proclaiming the new age of cryptocurrencies. Every day, fresh stories were circulated of individuals and companies making overnight fortunes on their crypto bets, shaking their heads at all the rubes who simply “didn’t get” why It’s different this time.

Here at PeakProsperity.com the demand for educational content on cryptocurrencies from our audience rose to a loud crescendo.

We did our best to provide answers as factually as we could through articles and webinars, though we tried very hard not to be seen as encouraging folks to pile in wantonly. A big reason for this is we’re more experienced than most in identifying what asset bubbles look like.

After all, we *are* the ones who produced Chapter 17 of the The Crash Course: Understanding Asset Bubbles:

To us, the run-up in the cryptocurrencies seen over 2017 had all the classic hallmarks of an asset price bubble — irrespective of the blockchain’s potential to unlock tremendous long-term economic value. Prices had simply risen way too far way too fast. Which is why we issued a cautionary warning in early December that concluded:

So, if you’ve been feeling like the loser who missed the Bitcoin party bus, you’ve likely done yourself a favor by not buying in over the past few weeks. It is highly, highly likely for the reasons mentioned above that a painful downwards price correction is imminent. One that will end in tears for all the recent FOMO-driven panic buyers.

And now that time has shown this warning to have been prescient in both its accuracy and timeliness, we can clearly see that Bitcoin is following the classic price trajectory of the asset price bubble curve. The chart below compares Bitcoin’s current price to that of several of history’s most notorious bubbles:

This chart (which is from Feb 2, so it doesn’t capture Bitcoin’s further decline below $7k) shows that Bitcoin is now about 2/3 of its way through the bubble life-cycle, and about half-way through its fall from its apex.

Projecting from the paths of previous bubbles, we shouldn’t be surprised if Bitcoin’s price ends up somewhere in the vicinity of $2,500-$3,000 by the time the dust settles.

Did The Stock Market Bubble Just “Pop”?

Despite the extreme drop in the stock market over the past two days, any sort of material bubble retracement has yet to begin — which should give you an appreciation of how overstretched its current valuation is.

Look at this chart of the S&P 500 index. Today’s height dwarfs those of the previous two bubbles the index has experienced this century.

The period from 2017 on sure looks like the acceleration seen during a blow-off top. If indeed so, does the 6% drop we’ve just seen over the past two trading days signify the turning point has now arrived?

Crazily, the carnage we’ve seen in the stock market over the past two days is just barely visible in this chart. If indeed the top is in and we begin retracing the classic bubble curve, the absolute value of the losses that will ensue will be gargantuan.

If the S&P only retraces down to the HIGHS of its previous two bubbles (around 1,500), it would need to fall over 43% from where it just closed today. And history suggests a full retracement would put the index closer to 750-1,000 — at least two-thirds lower than its current valuation.

How Spooked Is The Herd?

As a reminder, bubbles are psychological phenomena. They are created when perception clouds judgment to the point where it concludes “Fundamentals don’t matter”.

And they don’t. At least, not while the mania phase is playing out.

But once the last manic buyer (the “greatest” fool) has joined the party, there’s no one left to dupe. And as the meteoric price increase stops and then reverses, the herd becomes increasingly skittish until a full-blown stampede occurs.

We’ve been watching that stampede happen in the crypto space over the past 4 weeks. We may have just seen it start in the stock markets.

How much farther may prices fall from here? And how quickly?

History gives us a good guide for estimating, as we’ve done above. But the actual trajectory will be determined by how spooked the herd is.

For a market that has known no fear for nearly eight years now, a little panic can quickly escalate to an out-of-control selling frenzy.

Want proof? We saw it late today in the complete collapse in XIV, the inverse-VIX (i.e. short volatility) ETN that has been one of Wall Street’s most crowded trades of late. It lost over 90% of its value at the market close:

The repercussions of this are going to send seismic shockwaves through the markets as a tsunami of margin calls erupts. A cascading wave of sell-orders that pushes the market further into the red at an accelerating pace from here is a real possibility that can not be dismissed at this point.

Those concerned about what may happen next should read our premium report Is This It? issued over the past weekend.

In it, we examine the congregating perfect storm of crash triggers — rising interest rates, a fast-weakening dollar, a sudden return of volatility to the markets after a decade of absence, rising oil prices — and calculate whether the S&P’s sudden 6% rout is the start of a 2008-style market melt-down (or worse).

Make no mistake: these are sick, distorted, deformed and liquidity-addicted bubble markets. They’ve gotten entirely too dependent on continued largess from the central banks.

That is now ending.

After so many years of such extreme market manipulation finally gives way, the coming losses will be staggeringly enormous.

The chief concern of any prudent investor right now should be: How do I avoid being collateral damage in the coming reckoning?

Click here to read ‘Is This It?’, Part 2 of this report (free executive summary, enrollment required for full access)

James Corbett: “What is The Price of Bitcoin in Dollars – Precisely the Wrong Question” (VIDEO)

Cryptocurrencies are not anonymous and they are not decentralized, period. This is to say nothing of the dangers they pose as being “pirate money” that can create real world problems for a persons life. If you don’t believe me simply ask Randall Lord, Ross Ulbricht or anyone that has had their “wallet” hacked or stolen on any number of exchanges where cryptocurrencies are bought and sold. Whom can they turn when the wallet is drained of 100% of it’s contents?

I am all for free markets and free market innovations. I have been and will continue to be skeptical of a technology that was introduced to the world by a ghost. A ghost is something that comes out of the ether, has no material being and is not part of this world. Well, that perfectly describes Satoshi Nakamoto. Is it a little suspicious the “bitcoin” white paper was introduced to the world on Halloween 2008 at the very height of the financial meltdown or is it just me that sees this through a lens of skepticism?

Is it a little suspicious the foundation for Satoshi Nakamoto’s white paper was actually developed by the NSA and MIT in 1996 and now we learn the all important SHA-256 technology was also developed by the NSA.

The piece of the Bitcoin code created by the NSA is a hash function called SHA-256. SHA stands for Secure Hashing Algorithm. The hash is the expected outcome. An algorithm can be executed on a piece of data, and the output of that algorithm should match the hash. But you can’t figure out what the data was with just the hash. It only works in one direction. And there are enough different combinations that it is virtually impossible for any two pieces of data to create the same hash. Source

The evidence continues to mount that shows these cryptocurrencies are part of a beast system intent on enslaving the masses. The evidence is coming not only from governments and bankers but more importantly from the cryptocurrency experts themselves. The more that I know the more terrifying cryptocurrencies become.

I have been told time and again that I just don’t understand and I just need to research and study how cryptocurrencies work. Well, I have been studying and researching, but I am not interested in what the “charts” are telling me or “how rich I’m going to be” or how cryptocurrencies are going to revolutionize the currency system. No, let’s research what the policy makers are saying and, more importantly, what the policy makers are doing. Well, come to find out, they are saying and doing a lot about a handful of “pirates” attacking their source of power and control. Seems as if no one, with the exception of myself and Ken Schortgen and Chris Duane are actually looking behind the curtain to see what the developers are doing and ask who are these developers. It doesn’t matter what the crypto-crowd says, or doesn’t say, and it doesn’t change the facts.

We have reported what Andreas Antanoppolis stated a couple of years ago when ask the question – “do you have a totalitarian government? because I don’t want to live under that type of government.” Well, Andreas you already do. You just haven’t bothered to look around, earnestly, to see the walls closing in on your life, property and wealth.

It’s no secret that governments around the world are being strangled with unplayable debt. It is no secret the banking system, the too big to fail banks, became insolvent in 2008. These corrupt enterprises need a new “game” to continue the ponzi scheme charade and continue tricking the people into believing that government has all the answers and banks are how you conduct financial transactions. Neither of which is true but the mass of people do not understand this and, therefore, continue to allow these corrupt enterprises to dictate their lives.

Enter a “way out” of the banking system and way around government control – a new currency called cryptocurrency. The magic bean has been discovered! There is just one problem – it’s not magic and it doesn’t work as purported by 99% of the people telling you how great cryptocurrencies are and how freeing cryptocurrency are for the masses.

We recently reported on a debate between Peter Schiff and Peter van Velckenberg. Peter V, is a bitcoin advocate and was debating the virtues of bitcoin with Peter S. Only one problem. Peter V told the truth about bitcoin and spoiled his own party.

Now the non-traceable is the other aspect I wanted to address. We talked about the fundamental innovation as to how this thing (bitcoin) works. It works because there’s a ledger. Not only is that ledger traceable, with perfect fidelity, and there’s only one version of it; not a bunch of records kept by five different international correspondent banks that don’t record beneficial ownership of shell companies that open accounts. There’s one ledger it’s called the blockchain. If you know that someone received a payment at an address on that blockchain you see with perfect fidelity every transaction into and out of that address and this is exactly the type of technological tool that law enforcement has used to apprehend the people that have used these networks for bad purposes. Ross Ulbrecht, the guy that created the Silk Road he was caught with his laptop in front of him. They opened it up, they found the public address where he was receiving payments from the Silk Road drug market and that’s unimpeachable evidence that he benefited from every single atomistic transaction for drugs or heroin that happened on that website. Source

You see Peter V simply explains, in plain english, how perfectly well the blockchain tracks 100% of your transactions and ties 100% of your transactions together with ALL transactions – that’s right, 100% of every transaction, one ever makes! Every time funds come into your account the blockchain ties 100% of the transactions leading up to you receiving those funds back to all those transactions associated with those funds and every time your account sends funds out it tracks all those transactions and ties it back to you regardless of where those funds came from or where they go or how they are used – it is now tied directly to you as well!

Let’s say you receive funds from someone on the blockchain and 47 transactions prior to you receiving those funds someone used some of those funds to commit an act of fraud or embezzlement. The funds in your account are tied directly to that illegal transaction. Not only did you not know anything about the situation you don’t know any of the people involved. Then you send some of those funds out and 138 transactions later someone uses some of the funds in an an illegal drug deal. You are now associated with both acts and it doesn’t matter that you don’t know 99.9% of the people before or after the funds arrived/leave your wallet as you are still associated with those illicit transactions. Pretty cool, aye? This is exactly what Peter V explains above – please re-read what Peter V said and let me know what I missed.

Now, we learn from one of the smartest people in the alternative media space, James Corbett, that bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in general, are not all what we have been told they are. If someone would like to have a battle of wits with Mr. Corbett on this subject you would do well to have all your information gathered properly as I can assure you he has done the deep research and has all the tools necessary to present his side of the debate.

To use cryptocurrencies in the way it was intended or at least in the way some people have intended it for, is a type of “pirate money” is the best way to describe it.

Is it possible, more or less, to use cryptocurrencies sudnonymously (sp?) there is no anonymous use of cryptocurrencies at this point precisely, because as we know, the NSA, GCHQ  and other agencies like that do have access to the trunk line of the internet. So it would be rather naive to think that we are able to mask internet traffic and really baffle them with that. But at any rate. Transactions can remain sudnonymous(sp?) and If they are handled the right way they can be done directly, peer to peer, without the influence of third party middle men. Including across international state boundaries and that can enable a new type of market. A cryptocurrency market internationally.

This is where James really digs in and explains the value of bitcoin and all other cryptocurrencies in a way that is undeniable. This has been part of my argument as well. Chris Duane has been the most vocal about this aspect of cryptocurrencies as they are nothing more than, literally, blips on a screen.

Right now everyone is focused on what is the price of bitcoin in dollars. Which is precisely the wrong question to be asking if you are looking at this as truly disruptive technology. The real question would be “what can I actually get with these bitcoin” without having to change anything to dollars; without having to buy any bitcoins with dollars. Can I earn bitcoin, can I sell things for bitcoin? OR not bitcoin in particular because there are many, many different cryptocurrencies. But the point would be to try to create a cryptocurrency economy that is not dependent on that interface with fiat currency.

The video below begins at the 13:00 mark where Mr. Corbett over the next five minutes will explain everything one needs to understand about bitcoin, cryptocurrencies and the lack of value these digital-illusions bring to the market.

The post James Corbett: “What is The Price of Bitcoin in Dollars – Precisely the Wrong Question” (VIDEO) appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Soros Declares War on Bitcoin

(ANTIMEDIA) Switzerland — Cryptocurrencies were a hot topic at this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, with the world’s financial elite essentially split on how to view a technology that’s still less than a decade old.

One market player in attendance, however, George Soros — who, as of December 2017, is worth $8 billion — appeared far more confident in his assessment.

“Cryptocurrency is a misnomer and is a typical bubble, which is always based on some kind of misunderstanding,” the 87-year-old Soros said in a speech in Davos on Thursday.

“Bitcoin is not a currency because a currency is supposed to be a stable store of value and the currency that can fluctuate 25 percent in a day can’t be used for instance to pay wages because wages drop by 25 percent in a day,” Soros said. “It’s a speculation. Based on a misunderstanding.”

On the subject of usability, the business magnate claimed that at the present date, cryptocurrencies are primarily a tool of the criminal element:

“Currently it’s used mostly for tax evasion and for people and the rulers and dictatorships to build a nest egg abroad.”

This sentiment echoes that of U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May, who also spoke on the subject while in Davos.

“In areas like cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, we should be looking at these very seriously,” May said in a television interview with Bloomberg, adding that action on cryptocurrencies may be needed “precisely because of the way they are used, particularly by criminals.”

However, research published earlier this month found only one percent of Bitcoin transactions were actually linked to suspected criminal activity.

Other financial experts, however, appeared less eager to denounce the technology. Speaking at a panel discussion on Thursday, Index Ventures general partner and co-founder Neil Rimer said it’s simply too early to make a judgment call:

“We’re nine years into this experiment. It’s gone well at times and quite poorly. It could fail completely and go to zero, but it has accomplished a number of things I think are remarkable.”

Jennifer Zhu Scott, deputy governor of Sweden’s central bank, appeared to agree. She noted that the fact that so many of the world’s financial heavyweights are being forced to address the issue of cryptocurrencies is evidence of the technology’s power:

“The fact that people keep talking today that bitcoin is below 10,000, it’s a disaster, or bitcoin is above 10,000 and that’s crazy. I think the fact that bitcoin is still alive, and attracting so much attention, the fact that we’re talking about bitcoin in Davos with a Nobel Prize winner, a central bank governor and a seasoned investor, I think that’s a powerful tool.”

Robert Shiller, a Nobel Prize-winning economist, was also on the panel.

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“Biggest Theft In Crypto History”: Over $400MM Stolen From Japanese Crypto Exchange

This article was originally published by Tyler Durden at Zero Hedge

Earlier today we reported that cryptocurrencies tumbled overnight after one of the most popular – if unlicensed – Japanese exchanges, Coincheck, halted withdrawals of funds and cryptos amid broad confusion as to what prompted the halt. Additionally, Coincheck said it had stopped deposits into NEM coins, a hint that something was very wrong with what until last night was the 10th-largest cryptocurrency by market value, and which tumbled nearly 20% overnight, dragging the rest of the sector lower as news of the Coincheck fiasco spread.

Speculation was rife: “Coincheck is a very well-known exchange in Japan,” said Hiroyuki Komiya, Chief Executive Officer of Tokyo-based Blockchain Technology Consulting. “We’ve seen several outages at various crypto exchanges recently, so the extent and seriousness of Coincheck’s halt isn’t yet clear. We’re all very eagerly awaiting to hear more detail on what’s happening.”

We didn’t have long to wait: shortly after the halt, theories started to emerge as to what may have happened, with some speculating that the exchange may have been hacked after noticing that a massive ($110 million) transfer from Coincheck’s Ripple wallet:

110 mil usd in #Ripple (XRP) were sent from the Japanese cryptocurrency exchange Coincheck to an unknown address. Hacking suspected. https://t.co/hmGhlSmJEH

— Costin Raiu (@craiu) January 26, 2018

And then, the worst case scenario was confirmed by Coincheck itself told financial authorities that it had lost 500 million NEM cryptocurrency coins in today’s cyberheist, which at the current exchange rate amounts to roughly $400 million, according to Nikkei.

NEM Foundation president Lon Wong also confirmed Coincheck was hacked, calling the stolen funds “the biggest theft in the history of the world”, as quoted by CryptoNews. According to Wong, the hack had nothing to do with NEM and the blame lies exclusively with Coincheck:

“As far as NEM is concerned, tech is intact. We are not forking. Also, we would advise all exchanges to make use of our multi-signature smart contract which is among the best in the landscape. Coincheck didn’t use them and that’s why they could have been hacked. They were very relaxed with their security measures,” Wong said.

“This is the biggest theft in the history of the world,” he added.

The hack, at recent NEMUSD exchange rates, would make it even bigger than Mt. Gox – which lost a total of $350 million in 2 hacks, one in 2011 and 2014 – by $50 million.

As noted above, Coincheck was one of the few crypto exchanges not registered with Japan’s Financial Services Authority – a regulator responsible for overseeing exchanges in the country – unlike the other prominent cryptocurrency exchanges, such as bitFlyer and Quoine. Furthermore, according to MineCC, CoinCheck used hot wallets not cold wallets, which are not secure.

Which may explain why local regulators are only now looking into what happened:

• JAPAN FSA SAYS LOOKING INTO FACTS OF COINCHECK CASE

While little additional information was available as of this moment, Coincheck added that the hacked NEM was sent illicitly outside exchange, at which point the trail was lost however “no other issues found with other currencies on exchange.” Of course, the historic, nearly half a billion dollar hack is a big enough “issue.”

The Japanese exchange also said that it was “working hard to secure client assets”, and that it doesn’t know how many total coins were lost, adding that it was not clear if NEM losses were internal or external.

And while memories of the historic Mt.Gox hack suddenly rush front and center, Coincheck said that it plans to start trading of unaffected currencies. In retrospect that may not be a good idea.

Paradoxically, cryptocurrencies have risen as the Coincheck hack news spread amid expectations the thieves will convert their stolen NEM coins into another cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin Dominatrix Makes $1 Million Pimping Out Clients In "Crypto Slave Farm"

MarketWatch is out with a hard hitting story of a Paris dominatrix who"s been pimping out clients to mine cryptocurrency in a "Crypto Slave Farm" where they deposit the proceeds in a digital wallet.

NEW! JOIN MY CRYPTO SLAVE FARM ??????

Want to serve me financially, but can"t afford exorbitant tributes?https://t.co/AzzqyT1YAq

A first in the industry...#TheManipulatrix #Findom #Cryptodomme pic.twitter.com/b3Lt4lwRgf

— THEODORA (@TheOnlyTheodora) December 11, 2017

The woman who goes by Theodora is a financial dominatrix, which MarketWatch describes below: 

...clients — many of whom never meet her in person — derive sexual pleasure from giving her gifts and money. Exchanges of money can range from several dollars in “tributes,” as they are called, to gifts of more than six figures. Some clients even become a “human ATM,” meaning they give her complete control over a bank account.

Theodora says she makes between $7,000 and $10,000 per month in cryptocurrencies, on top of $10,000 per month she earns making video hypnosis sessions and financial domination videos. Last year she claims she made nearly $1 million from cryptocurrencies alone.

 Theodora

“It’s a form of psychological domination where money is the tool for the transfer of power,” says Theodora, adding “It’s quite common for powerful men like politicians or CEOs to look for a form of sexual release by submitting to a woman — they are in control all the time during the day — and giving up control financially is a more tangible instrument of power for them.”

Theodora has been working as a dominatrix for eight years, and accepting payment in cryptocurrency for four. Her clients, mostly from the U.S. and U.K., are typically men in their late 30s to early 50s - and include a "core group of 20 to 25 regular big spenders who make donations as high as $100,000 at once - some of whom she does "real time" session with in person." She also has a following of 200 to 300 people who make smaller contributions online for $25 / minute video chats. 

MarketWatch sat down with Theodora for a few questions about her adventures in crypto: 

MarketWatch: When did you decide to start taking cryptocurrency?

 

Theodora: In this business of domination, it’s common for dominatrixes to take crypto payments. We cannot take PayPal because they blacklist sex workers. I have been making my clients mine for me for a couple of years.

 

[Mining is the electricity-heavy process of using computer power to verify cryptocurrency transactions — miners are given a monetary prize for their contributions, which Theodora routes to her wallet.]

 

MarketWatch: What is your crypto slave farm?

 

Theodora: It is a little tool where people use the resources of your computer to mine [cryptocurrency] for me from a distance. So even though it might be a tiny amount, I have quite a lot of traffic on my website so it adds up quite nicely.

 

MarketWatch: How do you make money in cryptocurrencies?

 

Theodora: I take donations and also have people mining for me. I take a lot of geek clients who like new technology and they were really excited when I taught them how to build a mining rig for me so they could mine 24/7 from their home.

Theodora says she has her "favorite currencies" she"s betting on, noting "Bitcoin could crash in two days, you don"t know what"s going to happen, so if you have enough to invest in smaller currency you should," and adding "For me, it"s play money." 

Bitcoin Bubble: Is Bitcoin Going To $1 Million Or Is it Going To Zero?

This article was originally published by Michael Snyder at The Economic Collapse

The price of Bitcoin continues to rise at an exponential rate, and the financial world is in a complete state of shock. Just yesterday, I marveled that the price of Bitcoin had surged past the $13,000 mark for the first time ever, but then on Thursday it actually was selling for more than $19,000 at one point. As I write this, Bitcoin is sitting at $16,877.42, but a few hours from now it could be a couple of thousand dollars higher or lower than that. Those that got in early on “the Bitcoin revolution” have made extraordinary amounts of money, and many believe that this is just the beginning.

Of course many of the most respected names in the financial world were convinced that this would never happen. For example, back in 2014 Warren Buffett encouraged investors to “stay away” because he believed that Bitcoin was a “mirage”.  And not too long ago JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said that “if you’re stupid enough to buy it, you’ll pay the price for it one day”.

But for now, it is Bitcoin investors that are having the last laugh. If you would have gotten into Bitcoin back at the beginning of this year, your investment would be worth 16 times as much today. The following comes from CNN…

Bitcoin cracked $1,000 on the first day of 2017. By this week, it was up to $12,000, and then it really took off: The price topped $16,000 on some exchanges Thursday, and $18,000 on at least one. Other cryptocurrencies have seen similar spikes, though they trade for much less than bitcoin.

There’s a long list of factors people may point to in an attempt to explain this. Regulators have taken a hands-off approach to bitcoin in certain markets. Dozens of new hedge funds have launched this year to trade cryptocurrencies like bitcoin. The Nasdaq and Chicago Mercantile Exchange plan to let investors trade bitcoin futures, which may attract more professional investors.

At this point, Bitcoin has a market cap of approximately 280 billion dollars, and that means that if it was a stock it would “rank among the 20 largest stocks in the S&P 500“.

To put this another way, Bitcoin’s market cap is now greater than the GDP of the entire nation of Greece.

Earlier today, Zero Hedge posted a chart that showed how meteoric Bitcoin’s rise has been…

• $0000 – $1000: 1789 days


• $1000- $2000: 1271 days


• $2000- $3000: 23 days


• $3000- $4000: 62 days


• $4000- $5000: 61 days


• $5000- $6000: 8 days


• $6000- $7000: 13 days


• $7000- $8000: 14 days


• $8000- $9000: 9 days


• $9000-$10000: 2 days


• $10000-$11000: 1 day


• $11000-$12000: 6 days


• $12000-$13000: 17 hours


• $13000-$14000: 4 hours


• $14000-$15000: 10 hours


• $15000-$16000: 5 hours


• $16000-$17000: 2 hours


• $17000-$18000: 10 minutes


• $18000-$19000: 3 minutes

So where is Bitcoin headed next?

Whenever we see anything go up this fast, it is inevitable that there will be a pullback, and that is precisely what we are witnessing at the moment. After soaring past the $19,000 mark, Bitcoin dropped back to under $17,000. But this pullback could just be temporary, and there are some that are absolutely convinced that Bitcoin will blow well past the $20,000 mark by the end of December.

In the long-term, experts such as John McAfee and James Altucher believe that the price of Bitcoin will reach one million dollars. But there are others that believe that Bitcoin is one of the biggest financial bubbles in history and that it will eventually end in an absolutely horrible crash.

So who is correct?

Well, it is entirely possible that both sides are correct.

Bitcoin could theoretically continue to skyrocket for the next few years if the economy remains somewhat stable. And it is also true that given a long enough time frame, virtually every financial investment goes to zero.

Just like every other financial investment, the key is to get in at the right time and to get out at the right time.

For now, Bitcoin has sparked a worldwide craze that is absolutely unprecedented. The following comes from the Washington Post…

Such warnings have not stopped the craze surrounding the currency as the sharp rise in value creates ever more demand. In South Korea, people are pouring their life savings into bitcoin and other digital currencies. In Venezuela, after observing the rise of bitcoin, the government announced it would launch its own virtual currency called the “Petro” to get around U.S. sanctions.

And of course Bitcoin has spawned a whole host of competitors. At this point there are more than 1,000 virtual currencies in existence, and that number is constantly growing.

To me, this whole phenomenon is absolutely amazing. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are digital creations, and they don’t have any real intrinsic value.

But something doesn’t have to have intrinsic value in order to be extremely expensive. For example, a single painting by Pablo Picasso once sold for more than 100 million dollars. You and I may consider it to be just a silly painting, but because there are people out there that are willing to pay more than 100 million dollars for it, that is how much it is worth.

The same thing is true with cryptocurrencies. At this moment there are people willing to pay more than $16,000 for a single Bitcoin, and therefore that is what it is selling for.

Someday if this craze fades or global governments really start cracking down on cryptocurrencies, things could change very, very rapidly. So anyone that is considering investing should be aware of the risks.

But for the moment Bitcoin is on a wild ride, and it has been fun to watch. And since Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are not controlled by the authorities, it is easy to root for them to be successful.

However, now that they are getting so much attention it is inevitable that the heavy hand of government will come down hard at some point. In the end, government usually ends up ruining just about everything, and I have a feeling that cryptocurrencies will be no exception.

Michael Snyder is a Republican candidate for Congress in Idaho’s First Congressional District, and you can learn how you can get involved in the campaign on his official website. His new book entitled “Living A Life That Really Matters” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com.

Michael T. Snyder is a graduate of the University of Florida law school and he worked as an attorney in the heart of Washington D.C. for a number of years.Today, Michael is best known for his work as the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog and The American Dream. 

If you want to know what is coming and what you can do to prepare, read his latest book Get Prepared Now!: Why A Great Crisis Is Coming.

Massive Hedge Fund CEO "Ready To Add Bitcoin To Investment Universe"

Just yesterday we noted that billionaire hedge fund legend Mike Novogratz said "the institutionalization of [the crypto space] is coming... and it"s coming quick."

Novogratz said he expects major financial firms will soon start to offer bitcoin or similar products as an investment option, one that could be easily purchased over the phone.

“When it’s that easy, the price of bitcoin or ethereum is going to go much higher. And that is a lot closer than people think,”

How right he was as the CEO of massive hedge fund Man Group just confirmed they will "add bitcoin to its investment universe" once CME launches Bitcoin futures.

As BI reports, one of the largest hedge funds in the world might hop on the bitcoin trade.

Luke Ellis, the CEO of Man Group, the UK-based investor with $95 billion in funds under management, said the firm would include bitcoin in its "investment universe" if bitcoin futures successfully launch, according to a tweet by Reuters.

 

CME announced at the end of October that it would launch a bitcoin futures product by year-end.

 

On Monday, CME chairman and CEO Terry Duffy said such a product would likely be ready by the second-week of December.

Additionally, as CoinTelegraph reports, earlier today on Nov. 14, Multicoin Capital Managing Partner Kyle Samani revealed that he had met with an institutional investor with a $30 bln fund. The investor disclosed the fact that fund managers within the company are restricted to issuing checks with the minimum value or $300 mln.

“More. Just met with an institutional manager. $30 bln fund. Minimum check size $300 mln. Current crypto allocation: $0. We aren"t even close to the top,” said Samani.

Previously, even up until early 2017, it was not possible for institutional investors to allocate hundreds of millions of dollars in Bitcoin because the market was premature and the liquidity was limited.

In January of 2017, the market cap of Bitcoin was only $15 bln. The market was simply not deep and mature enough for institutional investors and large-scale hedge funds to commit.

In the past 10 months, the market valuation of Bitcoin has grown to $110 bln, with a daily trading volume of $4 bln. As such, Bitcoin has become more liquid than the most liquid stock on earth, Apple.

Finally, we note that Novogratz"s biggest regret this year has been not buying more cryptocurrencies when prices fell, because he knew that they would keep going up. He sees bitcoin, for instance, hitting $10,000 by March.

The basis of the price target of Novogratz was established by several indicators including the Metcalfe’s law, a widely acknowledged metric which has been utilized to measure the growth rate of communication networks like Facebook, and the likelihood of the entrance of institutional investors and retail traders into the cryptocurrency market.

Bank Admits Fiat Currencies Are Failing and Cryptocurrencies May Replace Them

(ANTIMEDIA) — As the transition towards a blockchain based economy continues, the established financial powers are desperately trying to stay relevant. In an attempt to boost their credibility, analysts at Deutsche Bank are finally admitting that state-run fiat currencies are becoming obsolete. For years, blockchain entrepreneurs and other critics of central banking have been branded either conspiracy theorists or criminals. But recently, those controversial opinions about the inevitable changes coming to the world’s financial system are being echoed by mainstream pundits.

Deutsche Bank’s top strategist, Jim Reid, recently articulated a view on the economy that is shared by many but rarely talked about:

“Central banks and governments which have ‘dined out’ on the 35 year secular, structural decline in inflation are not able to prevent it rising as raising interest rates to suitable levels would risk serious economic contraction given the huge debt burden economies face. As such they are forced to prioritise low interest rates and nominal growth over inflation control which could herald in the beginning of the end of the global fiat currency system that begun with the abandonment of Bretton Woods back in 1971.”

The most surprising part came when he acknowledged the crucial role cryptocurrencies may play in the move away from unbacked paper money.

“Although the current speculative interest in cryptocurrencies is more to do with blockchain technology than a loss of faith in paper money, at some point there will likely be some median of exchange that becomes more universal and a competitor of paper money.”

The people’s trust in centralized control of currencies has never been directly challenged on this scale before. Competition in the emerging digital economy between different cryptocurrencies has introduced an alternative monetary system that empowers the individual and rewards based on merit, not special interests.

Any paradigm shift like this is guaranteed to have growing pains, but those who refuse to adapt will suffer most. Even though Bitcoin, Ethereum, and countless other blockchain applications may create tremendous value for years to come, the current volatility is still more than most can stomach. One of the first things new people in the space love and hate is the tendency toward massive swings in price that occur seemingly at random. Those who do decide to get involved need to make their primary focus self-education. Trying to stay objective without understanding the fundamentals behind issues like scalability, forks, different algorithms, and mining incentives will be nearly impossible. The reactions driven by ignorance, greed, and fear are all amplified in these new unregulated markets, meaning there is no safety net for amateurs. These wild fluctuations will eventually level out as broader adoption occurs and the ability for major players to manipulate price diminishes. Before building a large position in crypto, it may be more important to develop a strong understanding of the technology and history.

Many have seen recent attempts by China and the CFTC (Commodity Futures Trading Commission) to regulate ICOs as a negative sign, but in reality, these actions only signal the institutional gatekeepers’ acceptance of this new asset class. The growing acceptance of Bitcoin payments has driven the blockchain revolution thus far, but the technology is just beginning its potential to reform the economy. Major retailers continue to accept payments in cryptocurrencies, and platforms like Exodus are dealing with the complexity that burdens the user experience. Soon, the average person will be able to safely get involved in this new financial frontier without having any technical knowledge or dealing directly with third-party exchanges.

Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, and other pillars of the financial world will continue to play catchup in this dynamic process of decentralization. If the public continues to wait for the opinions of these so-called experts, they will miss the opportunities that lie on the cutting edge of the blockchain market. As the new currencies around the world cut ties with the central banks, it’s crucial for individuals to not leave their financial fate to the once trusted investment experts.

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Crypto-Currency Calm Before The Storm

Authored by Jeremiah Johnson (nom de plume of a retired Green Beret of the United States Army Special Forces) via SHTFplan.com,

The United States (and the world) has been using the worthless fiat federal reserve note that is not backed by any true tangible asset.  The only backing is not even the “full faith and credit of the United States government,” because the government is too far in debt to have any credit.  Faith disappeared a long time ago: our faith in elected officials as public servants.  Instead, they serve themselves upon the labors of the public, and the public services them, in every sense of the word.

Cryptocurrency is an illusion.  The new “shell game” is to replace one illusion…the fiat currency…with another illusion, the “bitcoin.” 

Russia announced last week several measures to “deal” with the Cryptocurrency…first, by issuing a Crypto-ruble.  If you read the fine print, the Russian government is moving in to tax and regulate it, at a rate of 13% on trades for profit, as well as “Crypto-Rubles” that suddenly appear out of nowhere.

It won’t affect the Black Market as much, because 13% is going to be paid to turn a blind eye to the billions of rubles being stolen by the Russian Mafia and oligarchy alike.  The gimmick here is for the government to take a chunk out of it: for now.  The reason “now” is being used, is that eventually they’ll shift gears, pass legislation, and eventually outlaw private trading in it that is not government-sanctioned or government-approved.

A government is only concerned with perpetuating itself and maintaining power.  The most basic way it does this is by controlling the currency of the nation, regulating it, and taxing the citizens.  In the United States, it has been reported by several sources that JP Morgan Chase is going to embrace Cryptocurrency.  Europe is well on its way to establishing a “Euro-BitCoin,” and China has recently relaxed some measures regarding it.

This is the calm before the storm: the governments are studying it, and studying the masses to find the means to take control of it.

The gullible masses are playing right into their hands.  The problem with Cryptocurrency is not just in the fact that it is backed by nothing (a fool’s errand before it has been started), but there is no privacy.  None.  If the governments control and monitor all electronic and computer media, then there is no such thing as privacy regarding electronic currency.  This will be the death of cash, and thus the death of any privacy for citizens.

There will be no hiding from the taxing authorities.  All the accounts will be monitored: taxed on any growth, and every single penny accounted for.  The government will know what work you do, for how much, and how much “Crypto-currency” you have in your accounts.  All electronic, nebulous, unbacked garbage.  How about a nice “glitch” where suddenly, your entire account falls to a zero balance?  That “glitch” can happen anytime.

No, the politicians and the oligarchs will have gold, silver, real estate, mining rights and contracts, and ownership of every utility and municipal function upon which the public is dependent.  Eventually the Crypto-Dollars will be handed out sparingly to “exchange for food, clothing, and to pay their bills,” and the whole thing is designed for one thing:

To keep the population at a starveling, subsistence level while those in power own everything, and them as well: Ruled by the politicians and oligarchs, fooled by the press and the religious pulpits, and killed by the enforcement arms of police and military.

In 1910, the meeting on Jekyll Island, Georgia took place leading up to 1913.  It was then that the framework for the transfer of the power of the U.S. government over the nation’s currency to the federal reserve was established.

“The real truth of the matter is, as you and I know, that a financial element in the larger centers has owned the Government ever since the days of Andrew Jackson.”

 

President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s letter to Colonel Edward Mandell House,

Fmr. Advisor to President Woodrow Wilson    November 21, 1933

The aim is global governance.  The Cryptocurrencies arose out of a desire to use something other than the dollar and other failing fiat notes not backed by anything.  The irony is that the Cryptocurrencies are the vehicle for the globalists.

Once each nation has its Cryptocurrencies in place, they can “align” them, and virtually abolish all economic buffers and barriers…which will come crashing down just as the illegal aliens in Europe and the United States are destroying the borders, language, culture, and societies.  The whole thing is trumpeted as a recourse, but it is nothing more than an extension of an Alinsky principle “organizing the organized.”  At the right moment, the governments will swoop in, regulate, and tax these Cryptocurrencies.

Once cash is eliminated, hard assets such as gold, silver, and other resources will be simple to control.  Where did you obtain that gold?  How did you obtain it, and is it in our records?

The power lies in the receipt, the payment receipt showing where you obtained that product and how you obtained it…all based on POS (point of sale), the electronic monitoring of every expenditure at the register.  The “successful” employment of Cryptocurrency will mean that the people have been completely duped and have handed all privacy into the control of the government.  Once they control everyone economically, they will use that control to seize other aspects of daily life that are not regulated.  They’ll know how much you make, where you work, and how much you have available.

Or what you think you have available, because in the blink of an eye, they’ll make your Crypto dollars disappear, and you’ll have no recourse, just as they have no accountability.  If politicians steal money now, while cash still exists, think of how much they’ll be able to steal when everything is done electronically…when all the bankers and oligarchs are under their control/in a symbiotic-parasitic relationship and they can pass any law they wish.  Cryptocurrency is a scam that will eventually lead to the final enslavement of the U.S.