Saw this amazing piece of art on X and thought I’d share it. The way the camera's showing for your protection is just great. Some people actually prefer to keep the blindfold on since they feel safer not knowing what's really going on.
I like the piece of art actually it has a lot of hidden details that point towards decentralization and centralisation. In this present society decentralization is losing almost every day that passes as people are becoming more and more comfortable with fiat and KYC even up to the extent that they trust KYC more than No-KYC.
It may be od to a couple persons here but outside this forum and a few other communities I've seen people don't really value no KYC and decentralization.
The meaning is actually very deep but still easy to understand, especially for those of us whove been using Bitcoin for a long time and are already aware of how corruption often works in the fiat system. My interpretation of the blindfold that Bitcoin is trying to remove is that we shouldnt blindly comply with things like KYC just because were told it adds security, when in reality it often just turns into surveillance. Bitcoin was never meant to work that way, its not run by governments, its decentralized, and it doesnt require KYC to function as intended.
When I read the topic title I thought maybe it would be about how digital art on Bitcoin frequently uses centralized systems to host image data, whether it be through a public hosting service or an independent web server. And then it turns out the image to some important bitcoin jpeg was deleted by imgur and now no longer shows up on the NFT, lol. Which does happen from time to time. But anyway, I digress.
This artwork is clear as day but there are still people who would crack their brains to understand this, especially those who find it hard to believe that the fiat is actually a shackle. Look at it this way: one morning the government decides they are not getting enough flow of cash and as such would pump more money into the economy and to make themselves feel better, they'd make up silly excuses like they are trying to adjust interest rates, influence open market operations and so on so that on the outside it would seem as if these are constructive efforts by them to increase the GDP of the country but in reality, they just want to siphon funds in an intelligent manner where it might not raise questions but that's not the same with Bitcoin hence the reason the government are kicking against it.
So what does one do when all those small, no-KYC exchanges either go out of business or are made illegal? Perhaps you all have noticed the letter from the IRS that poor chained-up soul is seemingly being presented with in that picture. Hopefully you've all noticed that governments have seriously turned their attention on crypto like nothing we've seen before--and whether any of us like it or not, they make the laws. While they didn't make any laws specific to crypto for years AFAIK, they're doing so now with this BS thing currently passing through the Senate (with Coinbase and some banks invited to give their input...ugh).
So whaddya know, a big centralized exchange has tons of influence in the White House. I think Michael Saylor does as well, and perhaps even the Winklevoss twins still. For all the talk about decentralization, it doesn't hurt one's power status if one holds a lot of bitcoin. Reminds me of PoS coins, actually.
Not advisable to remove the blindfolds against their will.
Bitcoin is typically for the resistance who desires a better system rather than for those who are OK with their current system and unwilling to leave it.
If evil is the reason why the resistance opposes their current system, and desires or searches for something opposite, they should be converted. But first, you preach the Good News, followed by baptism and then freedom from the system to a new One where the CREATOR rules. And you start familiarizing them with the things of the new system that are completely detached or uncontrolled by the old one, such as offgrid lifestyle, decentralized systems/platforms, Bitcoin, etc
However, the ignorant/obedient ones who were decieved or became blinded against their will by the system, could be spoken to about the alternative to see how well they welcome it. If they like it then the blindfolds could be removed
What I understood from the image is that Bitcoin is here to set people free from the chains of government scrutiny but in reality has it done that? Bitcoin, governments and blockchain analysts see to it that you never are truly anonymous or have full control unless you only deal peer-to-peer using your bitcoin. There are just not enough ways of using just Bitcoin without recourse to fiat irrespective of where you live. It would have been nice if we could decide to avoid our national currencies anytime we want and even own Bitcoin and other assets without scrutiny until we exchange them at CEXs.
yes they will only grow mad at bitcoin because they will think that bitcoin is the enemy they need to open their eyes on their own and see for themselves the system around them and how it is near collapse
I liked the concept but the artwork looks a bit creepy that I think it hurts the message. Like the way the hands are drawn or the lips of the dude holding the bitcoin symbol!
It's a war, they'll continue pushing to gain the control they've lost when people said no to centralization and their surveillance and we need to keep fighting to keep our rights such as privacy and control over our own money. That means if they ban no-KYC exchange and it works, that means there was something wrong with that model and we need to work on creating better decentralized exchanges that something silly as KYC doesn't even apply to them. Just like what we have with Bitcoin and nobody can say "KYC Bitcoin"! They just don't mix since they are in contradiction.
Decentralization is the goal, infact i hope that everything you've said come to pass cause we should have the right to control our own money with any third party, however decentralization comes with it's own disadvantage whereby scammers would be at an advantage, whereby they can steal without no trace.
Anyways if there's anyway whereby decentralised exchanges can handle that then it's a big yes and a welcome development for the future.
I've written this a number of times over the years--most people aren't looking for an alternative to fiat; cards, phones, and plain old cash work just fine 99.9% of the time as long as your country's currency is stable. Assuming there isn't a hyperinflation crisis in your country and your government makes certain things illegal (like no-KYC exchanges, etc.), just how many people do you think are going to be willing to become criminals so that they can own/use a form of money that they have to purchase first with fiat that they could have just spent in place of crypto in the first place?
How many people are even willing to perform an act of civil disobedience because they believe a law they're potentially going to break could lead to prison time? Gotta say, I don't think there's going to be a huge groundswell of support for crypto if legislation suddenly goes against it. A hardcore few perhaps, but the average person? Nope.
People are so accustomed to bondage that they refuse freedom when they have the opportunity to liberate themselves. They think centralisation is convenient, while decentralisation brings responsibility. So even when they are presented with Bitcoin as a tool for freedom, they prefer to be under the shackles of centralisation.
These days, with AI artwork all over the place, seeing such natural work is exciting. The message of the work is clear: government financial systems are shackles in disguise.
Cypherphunk or privacy oriented mindset has always been a minority still is today
Many won't but there are people that would still go against it
Love the push back against strict privacy infringed laws in Germany especially in relation to cash.
If they don't see any reason to fight people would fold their hands
Just like Bitcoin made it also as a result of financial crisis 2008
People saw the flaws in the current money system.
They can ask citizens to submit more information for taxation like which Bitcoin addresses one person has for a taxation report annually. It's kind of KYC but governments have to rely on citizen obeyment on that policy. While the fact is challenging for governments, with Bitcoin HD wallets, people can easily get many addresses in a same wallet, and they also can easily to create different wallets for using too.
KYC Bitcoin is never an easy regulatory target for any government with any purpose like Taxation specifically. It's because Bitcoin was designed by Satoshi Nakamoto to give people who use Bitcoin with non custodial wallets their own Bitcoin banks. Governments only know which Bitcoin addresses you control if you tell them, it's not like bank accounts which are fully know and controlled by governments.
It's hard for newbies to get privacy with Bitcoin as Bitcoin is not a private coin like Monero and people can achieve privacy if they have enough knowledge for using Bitcoin this way of protecting their privacy.
With most people, they don't truly care about privacy and they join Bitcoin market by smelling opportunities of getting richer, improving their wealth. Privacy does not exist in their priority list or it is not at top of priorities.
What people think about privacy is not important with Bitcoin, as Bitcoin is Bitcoin, privacy is privacy and must be protected by people, not by Bitcoin that is unchanged while people can change their knowledge and practice.
Why KYC is extremely dangerous and useless
Bitcoin privacy guide.