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> 80% of what the "skeptics" attack is based on issues that are not related to "web3" but to simple Proof-of-Work consensus mechanisms. Not surprising when the
by Diggsey 5y ago
> 80% of what the "skeptics" attack is based on issues that are not related to "web3" but to simple Proof-of-Work consensus mechanisms.
Not surprising when the vast majority of activity is on systems still using proof-of-work. Even the term "web3" is just a blatant attempt to profit off the success of the web as a technology. Not to mention, other systems that don't use proof-of-work have their own downsides. All of them are hugely inefficient compared to non-blockchain-based technology.
> The other 20% of the issues are things that skeptics claim to be "causing harm", but either ignore to see that the harm already exists with the status quo (money laundering with crypto is actually really hard
[Citation needed]
> , and a lot more money gets laundered within the existing financial infrastructure)
Again, what evidence do you have of this? And even it's true, it means nothing when the vast, vast majority of transactions happen on... existing financial infrastructure.
Are you really going to argue that a smaller proportion of crypto transactions are laundering money?
> There is no system that will be "good for all parties involved". Ever. It's all about trade-offs. It's fine if you are okay with the status quo, but don't go around thinking that everyone working in the space is either malicious or an opportunist.
Blockchain as a technology is a solution looking for a problem. It always has been. In the early days, you could be justified in thinking that there must be a worthwhile problem out there to solve with it, and that we just need to find it, because it achieved something genuinely new and exciting. To this day, not a single problem has been solved with blockchain. It just doesn't work as a foundation for a digital currency, and for so many reasons!
As for other uses of blockchain: ethereum is certainly interesting. Smart contracts are sufficiently powerful that it will be a while before I feel we've exhausted all possible uses for them, but at the end of the day, it's still in the "solution looking for a problem" phase.
In short: if you think you've found that killer problem where blockchain is the solution, go for it! I'm not judging anyone for working on it, and seeing where it goes. The issue is with everyone already invested trying to force these magic beans onto people who don't know any better, making outlandish and unsupported claims about a (so far entirely useless) technology. There's a word for this: scamming people. It happens to be illegal. If you own crypto, then you don't have an unbiased opinion on this: more enthusiasm for crypto is directly profitable to you.
- rglullis 5y ago> Again, what evidence do you have of this? - "The estimated amount of total money laundered annually around the world is 2-5% of the global GDP (USD 800 Billion – 2 trillion)" - In 2009, total spend on illicit financial activities like money laundering was 3.6% of the global GDP, with USD 1.6 trillion laundered (according to the UNODC)[0] > Are you really going to argue that a smaller proportion of crypto transactions are laundering money? Yes! Without a doubt. We are talking about money laundering here, not "transactions volume that are not reported to any fiscal authority", which are two very, very different things. > To this day, not a single problem has been solved with blockchain. We can move value across the world in less than 10 seconds, without having to ask permission to anyone. That in itself might be no big deal for privileged folks living in places with (still) functioning institutions. But ask anyone who got blocked by Paypal or Google or even tried to make an international money order, and see if they don't think that crypto has solved a problem already. > If you own crypto, then you don't have an unbiased opinion on this: more enthusiasm for crypto is directly profitable to you. First, you can find a lot of things that I've written where I the biggest use case I promote is for stable tokens (i.e, crypto that is pegged to the USD or the EUR). The biggest use-case I am working on is to make payments easier, faster and independent of big centralized institutions [1]. Second, I don't "invest" in crypto as someone who buys lottery tickets and hopes to hit the jackpot. My focus is on collaborating to build an useful economy on it. You won't see me promoting/defending a project based on the token. Third: Skin in the Game. Yes, I am working on the space so of course I want it to succeed. This doesn't mean that you have any right to say that I am being unethical or that I am not deserving of any of the potential rewards. [0]: https://www.tookitaki.ai/compliance_hub/50-statistics-on-money-laundering/ https://www.tookitaki.ai/compliance_hub/50-statistics-on-mon... [1]: https://hub20.io https://hub20.io