[hn_throwaway_99]

> Haven't looked at the details but cryptocurrency implies it stays on some distributed ladger and no 3rd parties have control over the transactions. Isn't that the case?

It's about time we all disabused ourselves of the libertarian utopian dream that just because cryptocurrency is on a distributed ledger than governments can't control it. "How do you stop people obtaining it and using it through their buddies on the internet" - quite simply, by telling them they'd go to jail, or get a hefty fine, for doing that.

Companies are even easier to control than people because their whole existence is made possible by laws and regulations of governments.

[primroot]

> Companies are even easier to control than people because their whole existence is made possible by laws and regulations of governments.

And this is how we know the "small government" slogan is an absolute sham.

[drchaos]

> "How do you stop people obtaining it and using it through their buddies on the internet" - quite simply, by telling them they'd go to jail, or get a hefty fine, for doing that.

That method does not work very well for e.g. weed.