[hellojesus]

They don't actually have to be followed.

There is a social contract: if I don't follow them then the gov can do X. But, of course, I may be happy with that trade-off if the expected value of my actions are positive. That is: payoff > probCaught * personalUtilityOfJail + (1 - probCaught) * personalUtilityOfBreakingLaw.

[verdverm]

Sure, you can always be criminal, but most will not and the cryptos at large will never be adopted by the masses if govts ban them. This is unlikely, but public sentiment against mining has a higher probability to play out against the maximalists