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@ 04c915da:3dfbecc9
2025-03-10 23:31:30
Bitcoin has always been rooted in freedom and resistance to authority. I get that many of you are conflicted about the US Government stacking but by design we cannot stop anyone from using bitcoin. Many have asked me for my thoughts on the matter, so let’s rip it.
**Concern**
One of the most glaring issues with the strategic bitcoin reserve is its foundation, built on stolen bitcoin. For those of us who value private property this is an obvious betrayal of our core principles. Rather than proof of work, the bitcoin that seeds this reserve has been taken by force. The US Government should return the bitcoin stolen from Bitfinex and the Silk Road.
Usually stolen bitcoin for the reserve creates a perverse incentive. If governments see a bitcoin as a valuable asset, they will ramp up efforts to confiscate more bitcoin. The precedent is a major concern, and I stand strongly against it, but it should be also noted that governments were already seizing coin before the reserve so this is not really a change in policy.
Ideally all seized bitcoin should be burned, by law. This would align incentives properly and make it less likely for the government to actively increase coin seizures. Due to the truly scarce properties of bitcoin, all burned bitcoin helps existing holders through increased purchasing power regardless. This change would be unlikely but those of us in policy circles should push for it regardless. It would be best case scenario for American bitcoiners and would create a strong foundation for the next century of American leadership.
**Optimism**
The entire point of bitcoin is that we can spend or save it without permission. That said, it is a massive benefit to not have one of the strongest governments in human history actively trying to ruin our lives.
Since the beginning, bitcoiners have faced horrible regulatory trends. KYC, surveillance, and legal cases have made using bitcoin and building bitcoin businesses incredibly difficult. It is incredibly important to note that over the past year that trend has reversed for the first time in a decade. A strategic bitcoin reserve is a key driver of this shift. By holding bitcoin, the strongest government in the world has signaled that it is not just a fringe technology but rather truly valuable, legitimate, and worth stacking.
This alignment of incentives changes everything. The US Government stacking proves bitcoin’s worth. The resulting purchasing power appreciation helps all of us who are holding coin and as bitcoin succeeds our government receives direct benefit. A beautiful positive feedback loop.
**Realism**
We are trending in the right direction. A strategic bitcoin reserve is a sign that the state sees bitcoin as an asset worth embracing rather than destroying. That said, there is a lot of work left to be done. We cannot be lulled into complacency, the time to push forward is now, and we cannot take our foot off the gas. We have a seat at the table for the first time ever. Let's make it worth it.
We must protect the right to free usage of bitcoin and other digital technologies. Freedom in the digital age must be taken and defended, through both technical and political avenues. Multiple privacy focused developers are facing long jail sentences for building tools that protect our freedom. These cases are not just legal battles. They are attacks on the soul of bitcoin. We need to rally behind them, fight for their freedom, and ensure the ethos of bitcoin survives this new era of government interest. The strategic reserve is a step in the right direction, but it is up to us to hold the line and shape the future.
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@ 000002de:c05780a7
2025-03-10 20:21:34
@denlillaapan prodded me into writing this.
What do I think about the idea that [Trump is making Europe great again](http://archive.today/fnoBN)?
I chuckle honestly. I'm far from an expert on Europe but I have been paying attention to the EU since the early 2000s. On the one hand they are basically admitting that they have been passively ridding on the US's dime for decades. I mean, anyone that is paying attention and honest knows it. The establishment in the US wants to keep the status quo because the US is an empire. Trump looks at it differently. Like, what are we getting for all this money we are blowing? Russia is NOT the USSR. The world has evolved greatly since the 1990s and NATO was designed for an enemy that no longer exists.
On the other hand I wonder if the US leaving NATO will lead to wars in Europe. I don't buy the lie that Europe is united. I know many Americans do but I don't buy it. There are centuries of conflict in Europe and I wonder if we will see that come back. If it does I'm in favor of letting them work it out themselves. These conflicts need to be rejected by each people group for what they are. Elites seeking to gain more land, power, and wealth at the expense of the blood of plebs.
I think this headline is funny because already I'm hearing division between the Germans and the French. Europe is a mess and I don't see them improving as a result of this. Now... if we continue to see more anti-EU movements arise there might be a chance. Those groups get called far right. I don't really care what they get called. They sound like people that want to move back the halls of power to their own capitals instead of Brussels.
I'm guessing that right now arms companies are pitching EU scum hard. The hookers and blow are likely flowing freely. I bet they are writing up plans on how to spend more of the money of Europeans on arming the EU. Its gonna be a huge market. People that just swallow what these evil liars say in front of cameras are fools. I don't buy what they are selling. I don't buy the moral marketing of war nor the moral opposition to the "bad guys". They are all bad guys. Some are worse. Putin is likely worse but that misses the point. The point is ending the open war that is killing far to many people.
I pray this conflict finds resolution soon. I never dreamed it would go on this long. Its insane that it has. Its insane that a US president hasn't tried to talk to Putin until Trump. Trump is no savior but at least he seems to be trying to take a different approach. I think his positions on Israel, Iran, and China are terrible but I hope he lives long enough to negotiate a peace deal that sticks in Ukraine.
originally posted at https://stacker.news/items/909577