Bitcoin has long been the transaction currency of choice for drug dealers and extortionists, but this month, the IRS has upped the game. Just as tax evasion finally took down Al Capone, now the IRS is looking for tax evaders and other tax cheats who have been using Bitcoin in an attempt to hide their tracks.
The IRS recently subpoenaed customer records from Coinbase, a leading Bitcoin exchange. However, the subpoena is but the latest skirmish in a years-long war against criminals who have been leveraging Bitcoin for a wide variety of nefarious purposes.
The specifics of the IRS subpoena, however, make one thing clear: the majority of Americans who trade in Bitcoin are likely breaking the law.
Coupled with Bitcoin’s popularity among ransomware extortionists and all manner of other cybercriminals, we must now face a chilling realization: the underlying value of Bitcoin really has little if nothing to do with its artificial scarcity or popularity as a medium of speculation.
On the contrary – the only reason Bitcoin has value to anyone is because of the underlying value as a medium of exchange for lawbreakers. If we could flip a switch and eliminate all illegal uses of Bitcoin, there would be nothing left of the cybercurrency.
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My question is, How will this affect steem?