"They're hecking kidnapping people then using cryptocurrency to pay for the ransom! We must outlaw kryptocurrency!"

http://www.ontheinter.net/k/Kryptocurrency%20-%20Superbman%20Faces%20his%20Greatest%20Threat.html

Crypto should be illegal because I said so.

Page 1
>Kryptocurrency
>Superbman Faces his Greatest Threat!
>Walter Bradington, the wealthy investment banker, places a call to Lois Lake, telling her that his daughter, Christina, has been kidnapped. The kidnappers have demanded $5,000,000 for her release. It’s common knowledge that Lois Lake knows Superbman personally, and so Walter asks Lois to contact the Man of Titanium and ask him to rescue their little girl.
>The Bradingtons are not planning to call the police. For one thing, the kidnappers threatened to kill the 12-year-old girl if they do. Also, the Megalopolis Police Department is now much smaller than it used to be . . . Since the citizens have demanded that the police be defunded. It’s no surprise that the people of Megalopolis depend on Superbman now more than ever before. Using his super hearing and x-ray vision, it doesn’t take long for the Man of Titanium to locate Christina. Superbman is just about to break through a wall to rescue the girl, when he discovers that he cannot.

Page 2
>He uses the door instead. As he enters, Superbman immediately becomes much weaker. This can only be one thing - kryptonite! How could the kidnappers get their hands on the only thing in the universe that can hurt Superbman?!
>The kidnappers have ‘kryptocurrency’ in their pockets. Coins, minted out of kryptonite, received in payment from previous kidnappings and other criminal activities. The kryptocurrency that the kidnappers have on them temporarily blinds Superbman and keeps him from getting close! The kidnappers have also demanded the ransom be paid in kryptocurrency, knowing full well that it will render Superbman powerless! It seems the Bradington family has lost their only hope of a rescue. They have no choice now but to pay the ransom and hope that the kidnappers keep their word.
>Kidnapping is often not very dangerous for the perpetrators. The victim is unarmed and unaware, and often a child. Until now, the most dangerous part for the kidnapper was collecting the ransom. By accepting only kryptocurrency, kidnappers can now collect ransoms with almost no chance of getting caught. Kryptonite-based currency is a game changer for kidnappers.
>Kryptocurrency is completely legal. No one had ever thought to make it illegal because until recently, kryptonite did not even exist on earth. Once it made its debut, kryptocurrency became very popular and the people of Megalopolis started using it before lawmakers even figured out what it was.
>Kryptocurrency ~ Superbman Faces his Greatest Threat! ~ page 2 ~ © 2023 Michael Gelman http://ontheInter.net

Page 3
>One might ask how kryptonite even exists here on earth. Doesn’t it come from planet Krypton? It turns out that an anonymous genius with questionable scruples realized that many people in the world wanted to buy and sell contraband, contract illegal services, and do pretty much whatever they want, without the risk of running into Superbman. To that end, this anonymous person found a way to synthesize kryptonite in the laboratory.
>Next, they minted coins from the kryptonite, creating the aptly named kryptocurrency, a new type of money. This new money worked just like existing money, but it did something more. It took power away from Superbman and gave it to criminals. Superbman cannot fight crime in the presence of kryptonite, and now criminals have the ability to commit a wide variety of crimes with impunity. Criminals are finally free from Superbman. As with stocks, futures, and precious metals, the value of kryptocurrency fluctuates, and that makes it useful as an investment.
>Megalopolis already had a multitude of investment opportunities, many of which are arguably more sound than kryptocurrency. Because it is money, it may be used like any other money, but Megalopolis already had a multitude of payment methods. Kryptocurrency differentiates itself from these other financial tools because it protects those who commit crime. If kryptocurrency were to disappear, the only people who would miss it would be those who fear Superbman. Other than keeping Superbman at bay, kryptocurrency offers absolutely nothing new or unique.
>Illegal weapons, suppressors, poisons, and drugs, are now being freely bought and sold online, thanks to a combination of IP address concealing technology and untraceable money. Several contract killings have even been funded using kryptocurrency. Kryptocurrency ownership does not make someone a criminal, but merely gives them the power to safely commit a variety of crimes, should they decide to.
>Kryptocurrency ~ [...]! ~ page 3[...]

Page 4
>In an unrelated story, a crime wave has overcome Megalopolis. Ransom related crimes such as cyber-attacks and kidnappings have increased tremendously. Recently, citizens were unable to buy gasoline for several days because a pipeline was shut down. Criminals were able to hold the computer system hostage until a ransom was paid in - you guessed it - kryptocurrency. This type of attack has become commonplace. The computers of many Megalopolis businesses and individuals have been disabled, and many ransoms paid to criminals.
>There have even been kidnappings of people and pets, with demands of payment in kryptocurrency. By eliminating the intervention of Superbman, Megalopolis has become a safe haven for outlaws. Unless something is done, the future of Megalopolis looks bleak. The production of kryptonite also puts planet Earth at risk because kryptocurrency is continuously being manufactured, consuming an estimated 150 terawatt-hours of electricity annually, most of which still comes from fossil fuels.
>If kryptocurrency production was a nation, then it would be the 27th largest consumer of electricity, consuming more power than any single one of about 191 nations. This at a time when virtually every scientist in the world is concerned about carbon dioxide production and its relation to global warming. Thus, the people of Megalopolis watch as planet Earth heats up, the glaciers melt, and the oceans rise. This is not the creation of food, clothing, shelter, medicine, or consumer goods. Just more kryptocurrency.
>Kryptocurrency Pros:
> useful as currency
> useful as a speculative investment
>Kryptocurrency Cons:
> endangers the public
> diminishes productivity
> increases greenhouse gases
>Kryptocurrency ~ Superbman Faces his Greatest Threat! ~ page 4 ~ © 2023 Michael Gelman http://ontheInter.net

Page 5
>I’m sorry to tell you that Christina’s parents paid the ransom and pleaded with the kidnappers not to harm their little girl, but they executed her anyway. Too bad that this is not a comic book. After a period of mourning, the Bradingtons became outspoken activists against kryptocurrency. It’s a shame that it took something horrible for them to recognize the danger.
>What people say really doesn’t matter to Christina or the Bradington family, but one could argue that kryptocurrency should be illegal. One might also say that because it jeopardizes public safety in general, everyone who ever invested in kryptocurrency is partly responsible for what happened. You see, in Megalopolis, anyone caught in possession of child pornography gets charged with a crime, even if they have not directly contributed to the exploitation of any minor. It is understood that any use of child pornography contributes to the exploitation all of the victims in general.
>Some say the same principle applies. Of course, kryptocurrency is legal while child pornography is not. Walter Bradington points out that there was a time when slavery was also legal in Megalopolis. The people who opposed slavery called themselves abolitionists, while slave owners called themselves by a name that has long since been forgotten: democratic. Walter is quick to point out that just because something is legal doesn’t make it right.
>Fortunately for the people of Megalopolis, there is cash, and also credit and debit cards, PayPal, Zelle, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Stripe, Venmo, Square, Authorize.net, 2Checkout, Braintree, Clover, PayJunction, Elavon, KIS Payments, Adyen, Payline, Worldpay from FIS Global, or Cybersource, plus a multitude of other payment methods. There are also countless ways to invest money in the hopes of earning a profit.
>Kryptocurrency ~ Superbman Faces his Greatest Threat! ~ page 5 ~ © 2023 Michael Gelman http://ontheInter.net

These arguments are BS. https://kycnot.me/about points out that criminals normally use fiat national currencies to commit crimes without any problems:
>KYC stands for Know Your Customer, a process designed to protect financial institutions against fraud, corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing.
>
The truth is that KYC is a direct attack on our privacy and puts us in disadvantage against the governments. True criminals don’t care about KYC policies. True criminals know perfectly how to avoid such policies. In fact, they normally use the FIAT system and don’t even need to use cryptocurrencies. Banks are the biggest money launders, the HSBC scandal, Nordea or Swedbank are just some examples.
>
Chainalysis found that only 0.34% of the transaction volume with cryptocurrencies in 2023 was attributable to criminal activity. Bitcoin’s share of this is significantly lower. Illicit transactions with Euros accounted for 1% of the EU’s GDP or €110 billion in 2010. [1] [2]
>
>KYC only affects small individuals like you and me. It is an annoying procedure that forces us to trust our personal information to a third party in order to buy, use or unlock our funds. We should start using cryptocurrencies as they were intended to be used: without barriers.

These arguments are bullshit. https://kycnot.me/about points out that criminals normally use fiat national currencies to commit crimes without any problems:
>KYC stands for Know Your Customer, a process designed to protect financial institutions against fraud, corruption, money laundering and terrorist financing.
>
>The truth is that KYC is a direct attack on our privacy and puts us in disadvantage against the governments. True criminals don’t care about KYC policies. True criminals know perfectly how to avoid such policies. In fact, they normally use the FIAT system and don’t even need to use cryptocurrencies. Banks are the biggest money launders, the HSBC scandal, Nordea or Swedbank are just some examples.
>
>Chainalysis found that only 0.34% of the transaction volume with cryptocurrencies in 2023 was attributable to criminal activity. Bitcoin’s share of this is significantly lower. Illicit transactions with Euros accounted for 1% of the EU’s GDP or €110 billion in 2010. [1] [2]
>
>KYC only affects small individuals like you and me. It is an annoying procedure that forces us to trust our personal information to a third party in order to buy, use or unlock our funds. We should start using cryptocurrencies as they were intended to be used: without barriers.

>>105741318
>One might ask how kryptonite even exists here on earth. Doesn’t it come from planet Krypton? It turns out that an anonymous genius with questionable scruples realized that many people in the world wanted to buy and sell contraband, contract illegal services, and do pretty much whatever they want, without the risk of running into Superbman. To that end, this anonymous person found a way to synthesize kryptonite in the laboratory.
Probably not referring to Monero's creator, as he's not anonymous. Maybe referring to Satoshi Nakamoto, the God of cryptocurrency. Was he a ne'er-do-well? He was and remains anonymous.

>>105741334
>muh global warming
>This is not the creation of food, clothing, shelter, medicine, or consumer goods [as in, not info]. Just more kryptocurrency.
This is also BS. Food, clothing, shelter, medicine, and consoomer goods are not the only thing that matters. One thing that isn't any of those things that has immense value is information. Various cryptocurrencies directly enable or indirectly support the preservation of, creation of, and access to information. Such as Filecoin (FIL), Arweave, Storj, etc. You can also mine Monero with a medium-power or high-power computer then use https://stealthex.io/ (no KYC) to exchange it for Ethereum or FIL. Then you can use those tokens to pay for digital data to be stored on a blockchain for years or permanently (using intermediate services or not). So the positives are:
- support of information: such as paying for files to be added to blockchain and/or IPFS
- privacy in buying or selling whatever

>>105741255 (OP)
>Superbman looks like a jeet
Poo-stained hands created this comic.

>>105741255 (OP)
I can't believe that still today there's no actual benefit or use to cryptocurrency that outweighs the cons

>>105741560
I disagree. I've detailed some of the pros above, what do you see as the cons? Ewaste is a bit of a problem, but tools eventually wear out and break.

>>105741753
I don't really care

>>105741754
About what? Information?

>>105741807
Ok

Another pro of crypto is if you live in a country where the national currency fails and the government or economics is stupid:
https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-venezuela-bitcoin-f7ccc4ea283746f28b261cabeaf8f0c5

Venezuelans should've all switched to Monero instead of Bitcoin. Lack of individual choice due to state involvement in the market:
>Authorities have largely permitted trading of bitcoin in Venezuela, though they have heavily fined and detained people who use computers to earn bitcoins by auditing online cryptocurrency transactions. Such “mining” operations use immense amounts of electricity, which is heavily subsidized in Venezuela — meaning the state essentially winds up paying for the process.

>>105741853
How about being less vague? Do you not care about data preservation in relation to crypto? Or do you not care about the argument or system in general? Or are you a fiat brain?

>>105741887
Ok

>>105741891

>>105741904
Ok

>>105741887
He doesn't want to engage with you. He just wants to feel smug about having the correct opinion.

>>105744130
Impressive page 11 rescue.
Why did it have to be for such a shit thread though.

>reviving a dead thread to respond to yourself

>>105744231
Not the case

Not me (im op):
>>105741264
>>105741560
>>105741754
>>105741853
>>105741891
>>105741909
>>105744130
>>105744145
>>105744231

>>105744145
I found it interesting - mainly the way the content at the link in OP is trying shape people's opinion in such a hamfisted storybook manner - and I hate smug people.

>>105744308
>the content at the link in OP is trying shape people's opinion in such a hamfisted storybook manner
I was thinking, Gotham City is a fictional city where crime happens in an unrealistic way and to an unrealistically high degree. This undermines the argument made by Michael Gelman in the op link. Oh wait, Gotham=Batman, not Superman; I mixed up the comics. Anyways, my point stands, this is idiotic comic book villain type thinking.

>>105744423
Yeah, that's the kind of thing I mean.
The bit at the end is the really blunt part. They kill the girl. The message being cryptocurrency = dead children, and that's the association you should create in your mind.
It's a propaganda technique.