[AnthonyMouse]

> No, the argument is crypto is primarily used for crimes. Which is true.

The argument is right here:

> Outside of buying sex and drugs the only uses for cryptocoins are, and always has been, ransoms, scams and gambling.

It doesn't contain the word "primarily" which indeed makes it false, and the rebuttal to your different claim is this one:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46190260

> Also, if you want privacy, don't use crypto.

Can you tell me another way of buying something over the internet without tying the purchase to a government ID?

[yunohn]

Sorry, which web shops demand governmental ID? I have never had to provide them mine in any of the countries I’ve lived in.

If your concern is the webshop finding out your address, well I’m unsure how you solve this when you buy with crypto, but again ship to your home. If you have an alternative place to get it delivered for privacy, might as well do that with fiat transactions the same way.

[joseda-hg]

The store usually* doesn't demand it, but your ID is tied to your cards via your bank's KYC obligations anyway

* It's becoming more common for sites to ask for ID, I've gotten prompted for it buying a cellphone online, to access an old Facebook account and even Hetzner (Before ever using it) because I got flagged as high risk

[yunohn]

Ok, let’s go step by step through your processes, since I am tired of crypto nerds LARPing as Jason Bourne.

How did you first obtain your crypto? What level of anonymity was available for that tx?

Where do you store your crypto short and long term? How do you make it available for spending on online platforms? What percentage of your income and expenditures is in crypto? How do you balance between fiat and crypto anonymously?

What are you buying with the crypto? Why does it need to be purchased with crypto?

Where are you having it shipped? Are you faking all contact details when making the purchase?

Are you completely obscuring yourself physically while collecting said package? Are you obscuring your movements along the way as well to prevent leading back to your home?

Often, proponents love to portray citizens in economically ruinous governments in SAmerica as ideal usecases. Why do they need to use your specific crypto coin? Why can’t they use a locally invented (read: forked) one? It feels much more useful to regulate supply/demand where all said economic activity will take place, instead of replacing your entire net worth from a dying currency to a speculative one mostly propped up by foreigners like you who have zero skin in their local game.

I could go on and on, but it is exhausting to reiterate common sense - no one ever thinks this through fully from the comfort of their air conditioned first world white collar desk job office. How are you ensuring perfect info and op sec in your crypto journey?

[AnthonyMouse]

> How did you first obtain your crypto? What level of anonymity was available for that tx?

Suppose you mined it or received it as payment for selling something to a stranger who doesn't know your identity.

> Where do you store your crypto short and long term?

If you're using it as a payment method you don't store it long-term. You either spend it promptly or convert it into some ordinary form of investment.

> What are you buying with the crypto? Why does it need to be purchased with crypto?

Whatever you want to buy with it. Suppose you want a VPN subscription. Suppose you want to make an anonymous donation. Suppose you're just eating at a restaurant and don't want a record of that on your bank statement.

> Where are you having it shipped?

There are lots of things you can buy that don't need to be shipped.

Also, that's a separate problem. If you actually had such requirements then you would have to deal with them, but first you'd need to solve the problem of not having a charge for the thing you want to be private appearing on your credit card statement tied to your government ID.

> Why do they need to use your specific crypto coin? Why can’t they use a locally invented (read: forked) one?

Because a major benefit is to be able to make transfers between countries.

[joseda-hg]

I never said anything about my usage of crypto, I just said that requiring an ID with digital purchases is becoming more and more common

But, you are mischaracterizing me, I AM a South American migrant that did scape and has benefited from crypto for what little economic interaction I do have with my ruinous home country

On the same idea, I don't need/care for perfect opsec because my threat model doesn't need it, what little I've directly bought with crypto has always been digital, so that's whay I've cared to figure out

Still details on income/transactions and such, all feel a bit unnecessary for public display, but a small percentage, and my first crypto came from mining and selling back when it wasn't taken that seriously specially not in Venezuela of all places

[gr4vityWall]

> which web shops demand governmental ID?

Basically all web shops in Brazil require you to give a government ID to buy anything (usually your CPF number).

[mothballed]

Brazil has an insane number of 'illegal' immigrants as well as people living in Favela who essentially don't even recognize the state, so I'm curious how that works. I assume it's something like the US where 10 illegals work under one social security number or a tax ID they've registered under the auspice of foreign controlled business.

[gr4vityWall]

> an insane number of 'illegal' immigrants

Immigrants can request a CPF (the 'national ID'). I don't think being in the country 'legally' is a requirement, that isn't enforced the way it is in the US.

> people living in Favela who essentially don't even recognize the state

Most people get assigned an ID at birth. And people who live in a favela often have to work outside it, and they interact with most companies/state services that aren't utilities as usual.

Utilities OTOH often get MITM'd by militia/narcos these days though.

> I assume it's something like the US where 10 illegals work under one social security number or a tax ID

No need for anything fancy like that. The poorest people are willing to work based on verbal agreements, as the alternative is either starving, or hoping the public social security network has your back. And in case your employer requires one, that's a non-issue because, except for rare circumstances, everyone has one.

Digital banking, install payments and general smartphone usage is widely popular, including favelas.

[Lio]

>> Also, if you want privacy, don't use crypto.

> Can you tell me another way of buying something over the internet without tying the purchase to a government ID?

Isn't the real question more, does crypto actually allow you buy things without tying the purchase to a government ID?

I'm no expert but I regularly see articles about de-anonymisation. This leads me to be sceptical about claims to privacy, certainly given enough time and motivation by a government actor.

[AnthonyMouse]

Go to any retailer and buy any in-demand product with the same market value as what you want to buy. Sell it on Craigslist or similar for cryptocurrency using a new wallet. Buy whatever you wanted to buy, never use that wallet again. Alternatively, mine the cryptocurrency yourself, again using a separate wallet for each purchase.

The deanonymization comes from tying any transaction performed by a particular wallet to your identity and thereby deanonymizing all of the other transactions. Which doesn't work if the wallet only ever has two transactions and neither of them are tied to your identity.

That's assuming traditional chains. Privacy coins also exist.

[habinero]

You don't need to be a government actor, even. You just need to understand what a graph is and be willing to patiently walk through the txns. It's not even that difficult. I have investigator friends who regularly do it as part of fraud investigations.

[brohee]

> Can you tell me another way of buying something over the internet without tying the purchase to a government ID?

By using a prepaid (debit|gift) card bought for cash in a convenience store? Much better anonymity that way. And much less volatility.

[scotty79]

> Outside of buying sex and drugs the only uses for cryptocoins are ...

Apparently Black Rock and such buy billions of dollars worth of sex and drugs. I wonder where they keep it.