[caf]

People do not trust "Federal Reserve notes" (or any other official currency) - they are forced to use it, since they must pay taxes in it.

That doesn't explain why people continue to accept official currency in excess of their anticipated tax bill, or why criminals who aren't expecting to pay tax at all still deal in official currency.

[tsahyt]

Because it's easy to spend since others accept it. Money itself has absolutely no value at all. It's more a promise that somebody will accept it when you want to buy something with it.

[takluyver]

Which is precisely what the FBI report was describing: "they believe they can exchange the currency for goods, services, or a national currency at a later date."

[adambyrtek]

That's the whole point of fiat money, isn't it?

[brazzy]

It't the whole point of money, period.

[Daniel_Newby]

> That doesn't explain why people continue to accept official currency in excess of their anticipated tax bill, ...

It is legal tender for debts. Offering currency to a creditor extinguishes the debt, whether or not they accept it.

[sliverstorm]

Exactly. We trust USD to be accepted as legal tender for debts.