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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><pre><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:windowtext'> extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces@lists.extropy.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Anders Sandberg<br><b>…</b></span><br><br><span style='color:windowtext'>>…</span>It is the (relative) untraceability of bitcoin that makes it useful for this kind of attack. Kidnappers and extortionists have always had trouble getting payment to work, but using digital money and software that act as smart contracts this has become much easier. The problem was discussed by Tim May and the other ur-cryptoanarchists on this very list back in the paleozoic 1990s. I recently reviewed that work for my paper on assassination technology (assassination markets were one of the "classic" dark ideas, and have actually been realized sort of - they likely do not work, but people have set up darknet markets for it). It is an interesting problem for independent cryptocurrencies and smart contract systems to avoid being too useful for this kind of crime<span style='color:windowtext'>…</span>-- <o:p></o:p></pre><pre><o:p> </o:p></pre><pre>Anders Sandberg<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>Future of Humanity Institute<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>Oxford Martin School<o:p></o:p></pre><pre>Oxford University<o:p></o:p></pre><pre><o:p> </o:p></pre><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:windowtext'>Ja that is what I was thinking. For a typical kidnapper, the victim could record the serial numbers on all the money, or set up a camera at the pickup site if the demand is for gold. I don’t think there is a foolproof way for the bad guys to get their money without something like bitcoin. So then, is it true that if a sleazebag demands a ransom in bitcoin, she can get away with it?<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:windowtext'>spike<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><pre><o:p> </o:p></pre></div></body></html>