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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSorry, libertarians: Your dream of a Bitcoin paradise is officially dead and gone
The apparent demasking of the currency's mysterious creator is the last nail in the coffinANDREW LEONARD
So much rage. So much anger. So much disappointment. Newsweeks Leah McGrath Goodman stunned the Internet on Thursday with a report that, for the first time, identified the man who created Bitcoin, the worlds most successful, and infamous, crypto-currency. In a twist worthy of Thomas Pynchon, the pseudonymous mastermind Satoshi Nakamoto turned out to be a 64-year-old Japanese American named incredibly Satoshi Nakamoto.
This bombshell caused enthusiasts to explode in fury.
Goodman was attacked as a bad journalist: All her evidence declared scores of angry tweets and posts on Reddit was circumstantial. (And it is true, Goodmans case, while persuasive and fascinating, is not definitive. After the Newsweek story, in which he seemed to tacitly acknowledge involvement with Bitcoin, Nakamoto would go on to deny to an AP reporter that he was actually its creator.) Goodman was also flagellated for invading Nakamotos privacy, for doxxing him by publishing photos of his house and license plate that betrayed his anonymity. She was put on notice that she would be responsible if anything untoward happened to Nakamoto, who is believed to own a fortune in Bitcoin, and could now be the target of violent thieves.
To people who live in the real world, the sound and fury seems mostly absurd (although the horde of media chasing Nakamoto through L.A. on Thursday afternoon definitely wasnt journalisms finest hour). If you invent a multibillion-dollar digital currency explicitly designed to remake the global financial system that gains serious traction, people will want to know who you are. If you mastermind an anarcho-libertarian project to break the hold of governments over money, history will demand answers and good reporters will find them. Exposing Nakamotos identity is the very definition of news. If Goodman hadnt figured it out, someone else would have, but credit goes to the reporter who nails the scoop.
more
http://www.salon.com/2014/03/07/sorry_libertarians_your_dream_of_a_bitcoin_paradise_is_officially_dead_and_gone/
onehandle
(51,122 posts)...or something.
FSogol
(45,488 posts)msanthrope
(37,549 posts)adirondacker
(2,921 posts)Renew Deal
(81,860 posts)Even if he has a lot of money. Lots of people have a lot of money. This seems like a bit of a sideshow. Now, what's the story about the dead woman in Singapore going around yesterday.
randome
(34,845 posts)Transactions carried out in the darkness are so much better than paying taxes, avoiding criminal acts, etc. And anything that shines a light on any of the adherents is automatically bad.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]You should never stop having childhood dreams.[/center][/font][hr]
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)since up until yesterday even the most ardent bitcoin supporters/investors/users all said there was no such real person in past news stories...
Response to Blue_Tires (Reply #13)
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randome
(34,845 posts)[hr][font color="blue"][center]Don't ever underestimate the long-term effects of a good night's sleep.[/center][/font][hr]
pinboy3niner
(53,339 posts)think
(11,641 posts)Vashta Nerada
(3,922 posts)Rex
(65,616 posts)The only thing I associate with bitcoin is malware.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,320 posts)Salon headline writer: "Your dream of a Bitcoin paradise is officially dead and gone" "The apparent demasking of the currency's mysterious creator is the last nail in the coffin"
And no explanation why the 'demasking' (if it really happened at all) of the creator is the 'last nail'. The concept didn't depend on his anonymity. It wasn't a feature of it.
For an Andrew Leonard piece, this is disappointingly like something written by Maureen Dowd. Full of vague things about people's feelings and psychology, without decent analysis. He's normally better than that.
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)he wrote that "the DREAM of bitcoin PARADISE is dead."
Subtle difference, but two very, very different things.
The DREAM was a libertarian, unregulated, tax-free money paradise.
The REALITY is that bitcoin showed how to move money around cheaply, without fees.
He is predicting that the concept will be co-opted by TPTB/Banksters/Wallstreet as an alternative way to move your money. But it also will be regulated (in their favor, natch) and taxed (at least when the 99% use it).
Junkdrawer
(27,993 posts)and you thought investigative journalism was dead.
Response to DonViejo (Original post)
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chrisa
(4,524 posts)There isn't some grand conspiracy, and attacking a journalist for bringing out the truth makes you look like hypocritical scumbags.
Oh look, an unstable commodity is being unstable! It must be a conspiracy! Lol