[nine_k]

Why. Imagine that I lawfully own something valuable which is located in Russia: say, a moderate-size business, or a piece of realty. I want to stop dealing with them, sell the assets, and take away the funds.

My two options are: (1) Fly there, sell stuff, and bring a suitcase of cash. (1) Sell stuff remotely and transfer the payment over Bitcoin. I suspect that the second option is more economical even with the proof-of-work electricity-guzzling proof-of-work BTC network, because two transatlantic flights are even worse.

You'll call this a marginal problem. I'll say that marginal problems are still real, and need solutions.

[hnthrow1010]

Or just trade it for some other asset or currency that isn't crypto? Why are those your only two options? I don't understand how you jumped from "I need to trade something" to "my only option is cash or crypto". Those dots don't line up.

[nine_k]

I specifically used Russia as an example, because transferrimg nearly any fiat currency between it and the West is now blocked, due to the sanctions.

If Swift transfers worked, they could be a preferred alternative.

[hnthrow1010]

The sanctions will also be blocking the legal crypto exchanges from dealing with them as well. So that isn't going to work either. You might respond that you'll just use an illegal crypto exchange, but from that perspective it's not the crypto helping you. It's the illegal exchange, which doesn't actually need crypto to function.

Edit: Also, there's a bit more to unpack here. The transfers from Russia are only a problem with RUB. If you can transfer another currency to them into an offshore bank account then it's not a problem. And I hope you don't transact in RUB anyway, that likely means selling the business back to Putin's war regime, unless you physically go over there and use the proceeds to help the anti-war movement.