[ExI] quote for the day

[spike]

From: extropy-chat [mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf
Of Anders Sandberg
.

>.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.-- 
 
Anders Sandberg
Future of Humanity Institute
Oxford Martin School
Oxford University
 

 

 

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?

 

spike

 

 

 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.extropy.org/pipermail/extropy-chat/attachments/20160323/515cedfd/attachment.html>