Bitcoin ‘fixes democracy’ and fights corruption: Human Rights Foundation

2 years ago

Bitcoin fixes breached democracies and fights authorities corruption by limiting its powerfulness to power its people, argues Bitcoin advocator and main strategy serviceman of the Human Rights Foundation, Alex Gladstein.

In a Feb. 20 interview, Gladstein argued that the decentralized quality of Bitcoin (BTC) tin enactment arsenic a obstruction against corruption and tyranny.

"Where the democracies person breached down, I bash deliberation it's precise intelligibly related to fiat currency, and I bash deliberation that Bitcoin fixes this successful a way," helium said.

#Bitcoin fixes democracy…#Bitcoin is…free speech, spot rights & unfastened superior markets…tyrants need…the opposite: they request censorship…confiscation & closed superior markets”@gladstein https://t.co/n7mVr3bDwA

— What Bitcoin Did (@WhatBitcoinDid) February 20, 2023

Gladstein is the main strategy serviceman of HRF and has served the non-profit organization since 2007.  The instauration is focused connected promoting and protecting quality rights globally — peculiarly successful countries wherever its radical unrecorded "under authoritarian rule."

Gladstein besides delivers lectures connected Bitcoin and the aboriginal of wealth astatine Singularity University events, according to his bio. 

During the interview, Gladstein said Bitcoin represents escaped speech, spot rights and unfastened superior markets, each of which are stifling to a tyrannical authorities — which often needs censorship, confiscation and closed superior markets, stating:

"This is what China and Russia request to past they request censorship, they request adjacent superior markets and they request confiscation, Bitcoin makes it truly hard for governments to enforce those things connected their people."

Both Russia and China person been hostile toward crypto successful the past. The Chinese authorities banned virtually each crypto transactions successful 2021; however, the upcoming crypto licensing regime successful Hong Kong has led to speculation China's stance connected crypto is softening.

Russia’s large crypto law, “On Digital Financial Assets,” officially prohibited the usage of crypto for outgo purposes successful 2020. The instrumentality did not prohibition Russians from investing successful crypto, but section crypto exchanges person remained unregulated.

"I don't spot these dictatorial powers doing good successful a Bitcoin standard; I deliberation it becomes truly hard for them," Gladstein added.

Gladstein's statement astir crypto has echoed akin views from others successful the past. Bitcoin infrastructure supplier OpenNode voiced akin opinions successful a 2021 station astir the payment that BTC donations had successful evading authoritative crackdowns.

"One of the benefits of Bitcoin is its censorship resistance," OpenNode wrote astatine the time.

"Without immoderate cardinal authorization to dictate who tin and can't usage Bitcoin, it has proven to beryllium the currency of prime for galore individuals and organizations who person been near retired of accepted outgo methods."

According to a February 2022 probe by blockchain analytics steadfast Elliptic, 1 of the biggest reasons for embracing blockchain-based fundraising was to debar accepted accounts being closed by fiscal institutions.

Related: Blockchain is the lone viable way to privateness and censorship absorption successful the 21st century

Gladstein predicts determination volition beryllium a batch much "trigger moments" successful the coming years of radical having "technical and liquidity occupation with accepted fiscal services," which volition effect successful much radical shifting to BTC arsenic an alternative.

"If there's a struggle oregon a breakdown successful commercialized oregon communications, you're conscionable gonna spot a full hellhole of a batch of problems, and each azygous 1 of those is similar a infinitesimal that's gonna mint a caller Bitcoiner retired of necessity," helium said.

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