• treadful@lemmy.zip
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    3 days ago

    What crackdown? The SEC has only charged actual scammers and they’ve “requested information” from the legitimate players to figure out how to proceed. Other than some bad calls by sanctioning software, there’s hardly been anything considered a “crackdown.”

    • Telorand@reddthat.com
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      3 days ago

      But that’s not as exciting as promising to end something that’s barely happening in the first place.

      People elected Trump to be entertaining, not for sensible governance.

    • Cheems@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      That means, in Republican speak, that they will allow anyone to scam anyone without repercussion.

    • xodoh74984@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      I don’t know why this is being taken at face value with so many upvotes. The Gensler SEC was right to go after actual scammers and ponzis, but they went much further and clearly had an agenda.

      Gensler targeted the most reputable exchange in the US alleging that their core business is illegal, because the Gensler SEC decided to classify crypto assets as securities rather than define a new regulatory framework that actually fits.

      https://www.sec.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023-102

      Coinbase wanted to follow the rules and spent years asking for clarity. Rather than provide clear rules, the SEC provided a lawsuit.

      • treadful@lemmy.zip
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        3 days ago

        That’s fair, but hardly so aggressive that I’d call it a “crypto crackdown.”

        But it’s hardly unexpected to see lawsuits around unsettled law. Everyone should expect more as we start settling case law and bringing crypto inline with existing law.

        Also, wasn’t it mostly centered around their non-exchange activities? Press release specifically mentions their “Staking-as-a-Service” offering. Not that I see anything wrong with it, but I could see how that could be considered a security. Doesn’t really pass the Howey test.

      • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works
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        3 days ago

        There wasn’t a need to “define a new regulatory framework that actually fits” because, funnily enough, the existing regulatory framework already fits. It turns out, inventing new words doesn’t actually change the fundamental nature of the thing you’re describing. Refusing to call something an “investment” doesn’t change the fact that you’re selling an investment, refusing to call something a “security” doesn’t prevent it from being a security if it meets the definition.

  • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works
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    3 days ago

    Coiners: “We want to be taken seriously and treated as legitimate businesses!”

    Biden Government: “OK. We’ll treat you as legitimate businesses in your respective fields and expect you to comply with the same regulations everyone else has to.”

    Coiners: “Oh shit wait no this sucks, our whole business model only works because of crime, quick everyone vote for a fascist conman!”

  • nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    3 days ago

    Every time the price spikes I get the feeling its large holders cashing out while they can and the liquid from newcomers is available. Which would make it mostly a scam, kinda like the stock market but even more shallow somehow, as if the stock market wasn’t unrelated enough to actual production and very esoteric.

    • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
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      3 days ago

      It really depends on the community you’re talking with. In the Bitcoin community that would not surprise me in the least if it’s just big holders dumping on little holders to cash out for fiat. In the Monero community however that’s totally different because they want to use it as actual money. They, and I include myself in this category, believe that the government should absolutely not have control of our money supply that they can manipulate at any time for any reason or no reason at all and make everyone less wealthy, with the exception of those who they choose to give “government contracts”, “incentives” or “subsidies”. This is why the libertarians say that taxation is theft because they tax you on your productive hours of your life and call it an income tax and then they give it to the people who they choose to flatter and leave you homeless and shit.

      • overload@sopuli.xyz
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        3 days ago

        Income taxes go back into services that help society. How do you expect a government to fund any of the infrastructure and services that you take for granted around you without it?

        • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
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          3 days ago

          First off, we have to agree that we need the government in order to fund infrastructure. If we make that assumption, then sales tax on anything other than food and base essentials.

          • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works
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            3 days ago

            Lower income people spend - as a proportion of their income - far more of their income than higher income people. This makes the “nothing but sales taxes” approach much more regressive than it initially seems, despite often being touted by economists as a progressive approach to taxation.

      • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        I’m sorry, no. The point when you find yourself relating to libertarians is the time you should really ask yourself two simple questions

        1 - Am I a dumbass?

        2 - Why am I trying to herd myself in with a group of dumbasses?

        • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
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          3 days ago

          And that’s why we are different people. I have my opinion and you have yours. You’re not going to change my mind and I’m not going to change yours and we both already know that.

          • meco03211@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago
            1. Yes
            1. Cause it’s warm and comfortable in this mass hive of stupidity. Who wouldn’t want to be one of us?

            Went ahead and filled in that questionnaire for you.

      • Num10ck@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        ok but why not gold or silver then? also obviously without currency controls all modern countries would have drastically smaller economies.

      • Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works
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        3 days ago

        You can believe that all you want, but this is an even nutter dream than achieving effective gun control in the US (one of my nutty dreams). Why in the world would the government ever give up control of the “money supply”? That’s not going to happen.

  • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
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    3 days ago

    . That approval made it easier to fund bitcoin investment projects, but despite the seeming endorsement, Gensler warned at the time that the SEC still viewed bitcoin as a “volatile asset” linked to “illicit activity” like ransomware, money laundering, sanction evasion, and terrorist financing.

    Anybody who is not using Monero for these kinds of activities is doing it wrong. Just remember folks, every transaction on Bitcoin and similar chains is an upskirt transaction.

    • FireRetardant@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Isn’t USD also linked to many of those? Gangs launder physical cash through businesses, ransomware can ask for credit cards or bank accounts, terrorists may take USD as it can be spent nearly anywhere.

  • bamboo@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    3 days ago

    Obligatory Line Goes Up video, although not exclusively about Bitcoin.

    I do admit that early in Bitcoin’s life, around 2013, i was a interested in Bitcoin as an alternative to banking, but the volatility and speculation alienated me from the community. Anyone buying BTC now for $90k, you need to realize this turned into a pyramid scheme and you’re not at the top of it. You may be able to find someone who’s more of a sucker to take the Bitcoin off your hand and make a profit, but it’s not sustainable, someone has to loose. Any gains you make are probably less than 10% what the person made by selling it to you.

    If you do end up speculating on crypto, don’t invest more than you can afford to loose, and assume you’ll loose it all. It’s very likely you’ll either get hacked/scammed, loose your wallet, leave your wallet in an online exchange who runs off with your keys, etc. You’re on your own if that happens. If you do end up making any profit, it’ll be a blessing and you’ll be way happier than if you thought this would be your key to get rich, and you end up loosing it all.

  • MyOpinion@lemm.ee
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    3 days ago

    Shitcoin and the Orange turd both need to be flushed but they keep sticking to the rim.

    • Num10ck@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      the market can remain irrational far longer than you can remain solvent.

      the world is full of bubbles right now but the wisest move is to hoard cash while the trumpets are playing and buy everything after the dust settles. like warren buffet isnt trying to time the crash, its long overdue.

    • shortwavesurfer@lemmy.zip
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      3 days ago

      Yep, I suspect at least some people to get hurt in the very near future, because a decently reliable gauge of FOMO is where is the Coinbase app in the App Store rankings, and it is increasing quite quickly. Back in 2022, before everything imploded, it hit number one on the App Store for a while. And it’s headed right back that direction from what was like 400th place. I use Monero because it’s actually being used as money and so has a bit more inelastic demand.