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Bill Gates: Cryptocurrency Is 'Rare Technology That Has Caused Deaths In a Fairly Direct Way' (cnbc.com)
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: During a recent "Ask Me Anything" session on Reddit, the Microsoft co-founder said that the main feature of cryptocurrencies is the anonymity they provide to buyers, and Gates thinks that can actually be harmful. "The government's ability to find money laundering and tax evasion and terrorist funding is a good thing," he wrote. "Right now, cryptocurrencies are used for buying fentanyl and other drugs, so it is a rare technology that has caused deaths in a fairly direct way." When a Reddit user pointed out that plain cash can also be used for illicit activities, Gates said that crypto stands out because it can be easier to use. "Yes -- anonymous cash is used for these kinds of things, but you have to be physically present to transfer it, which makes things like kidnapping payments more difficult," he wrote. Gates also warned that the wave of speculation surrounding cryptocurrencies is "super risky for those who go long."
I would argue that the security of the Windows operating system has actually directly led to more death than any cryptocurrency Bill Gates mentions. I can cite military Navy vessels being sank due to improperly applied Windows 2000 patches. NSA spying of Windows computers has also lead to more death.
He has caused more death than the thing he complains about.
That's what you think today... Tomorrow, it could be the case the NSA could connect 75% of bitcoin transactions to individuals thanks to some unknown hack.
The truth is that if you commit a big enough crime, with or without bitcoin, that someone will still be searching for you in 20 years... You will be found, probably in a very unexpected way.
The difference between cash and bitcoin is that bitcoin leaves a trace that just cannot be deleted. And you do not exactly know what this trace contains.