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Serious questions... I genuinely don't know... but I assume a country could block access to the "blockchain" of any crypto currency, just like some of them do w

by billti 5y ago

Serious questions... I genuinely don't know... but I assume a country could block access to the "blockchain" of any crypto currency, just like some of them do with access to Twitter, Google, Facebook, Github, etc. Is there way to continue using your Bitcoin in this case? Or is it effectively the same as having a bank account frozen (i.e. you can't conduct any transactions if you don't have broad connectivity). Or am I misunderstanding something fundamental? (I realize it's probably not a single domain/endpoint like other sites I referenced, but the traffic probably has other characteristics that would make it easy for a state to disable).

sokoloff 5y ago
Block live access? Maybe. Block access entirely? Only if they were willing to stop all communications and travel in/out of the country. You could carry keys on paper and instructions in your head and apply them on the "free side" of the border. I don't think it's practically possible to entirely prevent such transactions. You can make them illegal; you can make them difficult; you probably can't stop them as an individual country.
wmf 5y ago
You can receive the blockchain via satellite and send transactions over email, Signal, or whatever. https://blockstream.com/satellite/ https://blockstream.com/satellite/ Or you could just use Tor.
sudosysgen 5y ago
The only way to completely block access to the block chain thats remotely feasible are repeated 51% attacks and an impediment to general access. That means raiding mining farms while limiting their number by limiting the size of Bitcoin. Its only something the US or China could do. Otherwise no, there is no way of completely blocking it. There are ways of making it impractical for the vast majority, though.
drexlspivey 5y ago
You can’t block access to a peer to peer network unless you block internet access (in which case you can access it via satellite). Blocking Twitter/Github etc access is pretty easy since they are centralized legal entities to which you can issue subpoenas, force the ISPs to block their DNS, raid their servers etc. Blocking based on traffic analysis is easily bypassed by using a VPN/tor

by billti 5y ago

sokoloff 5y ago

Block live access? Maybe. Block access entirely? Only if they were willing to stop all communications and travel in/out of the country. You could carry keys on paper and instructions in your head and apply them on the "free side" of the border. I don't think it's practically possible to entirely prevent such transactions. You can make them illegal; you can make them difficult; you probably can't stop them as an individual country.

wmf 5y ago

You can receive the blockchain via satellite and send transactions over email, Signal, or whatever. https://blockstream.com/satellite/ https://blockstream.com/satellite/ Or you could just use Tor.

sudosysgen 5y ago

The only way to completely block access to the block chain thats remotely feasible are repeated 51% attacks and an impediment to general access. That means raiding mining farms while limiting their number by limiting the size of Bitcoin. Its only something the US or China could do. Otherwise no, there is no way of completely blocking it. There are ways of making it impractical for the vast majority, though.

drexlspivey 5y ago

You can’t block access to a peer to peer network unless you block internet access (in which case you can access it via satellite). Blocking Twitter/Github etc access is pretty easy since they are centralized legal entities to which you can issue subpoenas, force the ISPs to block their DNS, raid their servers etc. Blocking based on traffic analysis is easily bypassed by using a VPN/tor