Slashdot Mirror


China Wants To Ban Bitcoin Mining

China's state planner wants to eliminate bitcoin mining in the country, according to a draft list of industrial activities the agency is seeking to stop in a sign of growing government pressure on the cryptocurrency sector. From a report: China is the world's largest market for computer hardware designed to mine bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, even though such activities previously fell under a regulatory grey area. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) said on Monday it was seeking public opinions on a revised list of industries it wants to encourage, restrict or eliminate. The list was first published in 2011. The draft for a revised list added cryptocurrency mining, including that of bitcoin, to more than 450 activities the NDRC said should be phased out as they did not adhere to relevant laws and regulations, were unsafe, wasted resources or polluted the environment. It did not stipulate a target date or plan for how to eliminate bitcoin mining, meaning that such activities should be phased out immediately, the document said. The public has until May 7 to comment on the draft.

99 comments

  1. This is good for Bitcoin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As all things are

    1. Re:This is good for Bitcoin by supremebob · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This might actually be good for crypto in general, since it will finally convince developers that they need to move away from "Proof Of Work" verification algorithms and less processor intensive verification methods like "Proof Of Stake". It's been on their "To Do" lists for awhile, since environmentalists have been hounding them about how much electricity crypto mining wastes for years now. Like many things in IT, being forced to do something because of government regulation can force change here.

    2. Re: This is good for Bitcoin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Most reliable system I've ever been acquainted with. Why worry?

  2. Guilty by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    were unsafe, wasted resources or polluted the environment

  3. good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    its wasteful with little to no merit of any kind

    1. Re:good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm with them on this, it is an utter waste, but how do you stop it? Rolling blackouts? Or a better idea, only allow people to buy a single 10 watt CPU per household/business.

    2. Re:good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's China, they have ownership in all the banks and the ability to hack into people's computers if they want to. They also have access to people's electric bills.

      I'm guessing that if yu're not doing much with BTC that they won't notice and that this will mostly be used against political dissidents and those who are using a ton of power.

    3. Re:good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      using there creepy social score and terrifying legal system to discourage people

    4. Re:good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You simply execute them, it's china

    5. Re:good by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      its wasteful with little to no merit of any kind

      There are many things in life that various people consider to be wasteful and with little or no merit.

      Authoritarian governments have a poor track record of picking winners and losers.

    6. Re: good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A stake through their funny little hearts at an obtuse angle

  4. Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by themusicgod1 · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    Bitcoin mining has pushed the development of hardware in china to smaller and smaller feature sizes, even more than GPUs and CPUs. They are shooting themselves in the feet and allowing the next generation of hardware to be run (and eventually designed) elsewhere. This is China giving up the lead in high tech for a few years - we better take this chance and run with it, we probably won't get another chance like this.

    --
    GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
    1. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by tomhath · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The Chinese government recognized that the bitcoin fad is over. Time to move on.

    2. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by themusicgod1 · · Score: 0

      TFA says that they went further than that, saying no more cryptocurrency mining at all. I could believe bitcoin has reached it's end of life...if there was some other proof of work cryptocurrency capable of replacing it. The jury is still out on that, so even if it is true, that the 'fad' is over ...cryptocurrency is not going away any time soon. Especially when payment providers are getting their hands so dirty with policing what people say and think online - there is absolutely a need for an independent-of-the-chinese/US-government payment system in the world.

      If you don't want to see "The Handmaid's Tale" irl, don't let the global payment system fall into the hands of those who can manipulate it - use bitcoin.

      --
      GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
    3. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the rest of us realize Tomhath is a moron...

    4. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by tomhath · · Score: 1

      Bitcoin is the most manipulated currency ever, which is the main reason it and other cryptocurrencies will always fail.

      Science fiction is fiction

    5. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What flavour Kool Aid do you drink? Must be tasty as fuck.

    6. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bitcoin is the most manipulated currency ever

      Every currency is the most manipulated currency ever, son. Grow up.

    7. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by themusicgod1 · · Score: 1

      What flavour Kool Aid do you drink?

      Freedom [tm]

      --
      GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
    8. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by themusicgod1 · · Score: 1

      it and other cryptocurrencies will always fail.

      Yes but will bitcoin fail before or after one of the 2,000 competing currencies takes it's place? It's a human institution, and will fail eventually, but it's showing no signs of that, present article included.

      --
      GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
    9. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by alvinrod · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I think what they realized was that the only reason so many people in China were doing it was as a means of moving wealth outside of the country, which China wants to clamp down on since it limits their control. Like anything else, the Chinese government doesn't care too much as long as it doesn't challenge their authority.

    10. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I've heard for years that exfiltrating money from China is the ONLY activity propping cryptocurrency up at all, so I'll be curious to see if it all crashes if China goes through with this and enforces it.

    11. Re: Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There you go again
      Shrink -> Smaller -> smallest (measure of size at any scale)
      Up -> higher -> highest -> on high (measure of aboveness at any scale)
      High: to lose ones brain ability from smoking a green plant (measure of stupidity in every way)

    12. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by houstonbofh · · Score: 1

      People have been saying this for 10 years. And yet, it is more stable now than ever. And even in it's bigest crash ever, it did not lose more than a few months of value. With a 10 year track record of being wrong, how long are you going to stick with this?

    13. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Bitcoin is being banned because it's a proof-of-work cryptocurrency. Why the hell would you want to replace it with another proof-of-work cryptocurrency?

      Let the green proof-of-stake cryptocurrencies such as Reddcoin, which don't require anywhere near the same amount of power, replace the wasteful proof-of-work cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    14. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ...and yet it is still pretty much useless as a currency.

      Even Craigslist only has 401 entries accepting cryptocurrency and 53 of those are from ONE person (1st entry i checked) so a handful of people will accept it in place of something they no longer want. Not very impressive.

      More like a penny stock than anything.

      It does seem very wasteful...as if that was the real reason.

    15. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Cock drippings.

    16. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by themusicgod1 · · Score: 1

      Because proof of work works. It's not a waste to maintain the backstop of a functioning network. Don't even talk to me about waste until the terms "block heater" is longer in the modern vocabulary. We have plenty of non-bitcoin mining heat generating equipment like toasters, furnaces and block heaters that should be replaced by mining alternatives that are far, far more of a 'waste'.

      --
      GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
    17. Re:Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by themusicgod1 · · Score: 1

      Not true, it's also those "exfiltrating" money from Venezuela keeping it propped up, too. And turkey.

      --
      GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
    18. Re: Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is an illogical demand. You have presented separate issues all worth discussion, and it is illogical to say the world should ignore one issue until they first address whichever issue is your priority. Would you also demand we not discuss Windows / Linux / etc. security until we first eliminate physical security problems?

    19. Re: Opportunity for hardware development elsewhere by themusicgod1 · · Score: 1

      It's not illogical. There is a real need for heat in cold places, and a real need for computational work including but not limited to a proof of work system. The illogical part is there's still 2 groups working on these problems and not working together to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

      --
      GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
  5. What Else Is New by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    China also wants to ban free thought, so what else is new?

    1. Re:What Else Is New by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      China also wants to exterminate the Uighirs, turn the Falun Gong into soap and push the Tibetans into low earth orbit without the benefit of environment suits.

    2. Re: What Else Is New by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      People need soap

  6. Economics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Having to ban something is a sign that your society is poorly organized.

    If a society were built around markets and voluntary interaction, then the price of power (including the price of pollution management, etc.) for any particular user would find equilibrium at some point that is profitable for everyone—or, of course, the price would clearly indicate that it is totally unprofitable, and thus the activity would cease.

    Central planning is a sign of incompetence, folks. Naturally, that's why central planning always fails, or entails extreme violence (which is the last resort of the incompetent).

    1. Re:Economics by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

      Lovely to see you have educated yourself with basic economics and some libertarian BS sprinkled over that. You might want to continue your education with some insights into “market failure” and “negative externalities”. Later you could go into differences between “regulation” and “centrally planned economy”.

    2. Re:Economics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As opposed to us smart Americans that leave it in the hands of a bunch of kleptocrats.

    3. Re:Economics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If a society were built around markets and voluntary interaction, then the price of power (including the price of pollution management, etc.) for any particular user would find equilibrium at some point that is profitable for everyone

      Now there is some Grade A fucking bullshit.

      Markets don't work as advertised, and never will .. because people will always lie, cheat, steal, form cartels, make irrational choices with imperfect data, and pretty much everything else.

      See, Capitalism fails the same way as Communism does, and for the same reason ... because both have completely un-true base assumptions about the human nature, and therefore neither can actually exist.

      You're either too damned young to realize just how wrong you are, or have been dumb enough for long enough to keep believing that shit.

      that's why central planning always fails, or entails extreme violence

      Both Capitalism and Communism fail here ... because sooner or later it comes down to "if everyone could be forced to adhere to the way I think it works then everything would be fine". And that's impossible bullshit in both cases.

    4. Re:Economics by VeryFluffyBunny · · Score: 1

      The USA in particular & all countries in general have banned a lot of things. All countries have central planning - That's what makes them countries. The market's not very good at deciding what's right & wrong.

      --
      Debate is a form of harassment. Do not question my truth.
  7. Scheme To Waste Western Resources Ending by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All that wastes power, computing cycles, and e-waste. A perfect Chinese scheme against the west.

    1. Re:Scheme To Waste Western Resources Ending by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The vast majority of bitcoin mining, ie waste, occurs in China. 70%+.

  8. Sudden outbreak of common sense by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It isn't "mining"....

  9. Second clause to that headline should read: by Lucas123 · · Score: 1

    "China Wants To Ban Bitcoin Mining, Launch Its Own Fiat-backed Token Currency"

  10. But how will they prop up North Korea? by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    If China bans bitcoin mining, how will they then prop up North Korea?

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    1. Re:But how will they prop up North Korea? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Throw a crypto hail mary?

    2. Re:But how will they prop up North Korea? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If China bans bitcoin mining, how will they then prop up North Korea?

      Donald Trump will sign over all US assets to North Korea at the next summit

    3. Re:But how will they prop up North Korea? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And why not? If we could actually become /friendly/ with the regime, maybe we could begin to repair that region economically and socially. Keeping them marginalized (self-marginalized perhaps, true) only keeps tensions on the peninsula up, and it would be great to have another ally over there rather than an enemy.

  11. US needs to do this too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's a waste of energy. 100% of people who made money on BTC mining did so by stealing electricity. From their employer, from subsidized service, from unwitting victims.

    1. Re:US needs to do this too by houstonbofh · · Score: 1

      Wait... You know EVERYONE who made money mining bitcoin? Wow! You are a social animal!

    2. Re:US needs to do this too by supremebob · · Score: 1

      Well... anybody making money mining Bitcoin NOW is probably stealing electricity.

      Some people earlier on were either smart enough or lucky enough to get in early and ride the price increase from less than a buck to over $10,000. I doubt that we'll see that happen again any time soon, though.

    3. Re:US needs to do this too by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Not the people who mined a few months after Bitcoin was created.

      I remember reading a comment on Slashdot, something along the lines of "...after I could only mine half a bitcoin per day on my laptop, I stopped doing it because I thought it was pointless."

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    4. Re:US needs to do this too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I know both of them, and they're pants-on-head retards.

  12. Bitcoin price going up? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Yeah, it's at 5k now. Yes, again. Look, we're going to need some more China FUD, just like last time."

  13. Externalities == Lack of Property Rights by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Externalities are an example of The Tragedy of the Commons, which shows that resources must be managed by an owner.

    * Authoritarians say property should be owned by the State, by violently imposed decree.

    * Libertarians say property should be owned by The People, by voluntary trade.

    There is no regulation greater than that of the Free Market, where bankruptcy is actually bankruptcy. You can have rules or rulers, but not both; the future is law by contracts, not law by decree.

    1. Re:Externalities == Lack of Property Rights by Tranzistors · · Score: 1

      Ok then, who should own the seas and the atmosphere?

  14. Coin crush. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...should be phased out as they did not adhere to relevant laws and regulations, were unsafe, wasted resources or polluted the environment.

    Unsafe? What happened? A bitcoin rig fell over and crushed someone?

  15. Re:Britain wants to end the free Internet- coverag by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Good job, Wong, you get a Good Party point. A few thousand more and you can import a middle class American brand of chicken tendie, and pretend you're living the life.

  16. No rational state can support kleptocurrency by Rob+Cebollero · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The entire purpose of cryptocurrency is to undermine the state. There is literally no other value add to the blockchainist (pseudo) decentralization model of electronic currency.

    the most impressive feat of Bitcoin is that it's managed to use a misdirection story about 'technology' (plus some good old fashioned corruption) to prevent china - of all nations - from recognizing its true and intended purpose for so long.

    --
    Decentralization: the brief interval between the decline of one centralized regime and rise of another.
    1. Re:No rational state can support kleptocurrency by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Undermining central powers that be is excellent goal. Of course normies on slashdon't cant see such things.

    2. Re:No rational state can support kleptocurrency by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because there is never a need to be against the state, work outside the state or without government oversight.

      That's right. The state is always right, correct, moral and must be protected against everyone and everything. The state and its party is always right.

      Thank you for your propaganda. Can you be a good citizen and pick up that can on the way out?

  17. Who are these angels who staff your Government? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    * Your implication is that governmental paper-pushers and gun-toters are some kind of unearthly, transhuman, angelic beings formed of finer clay than the rest of us; who are these Intelligent Designers? I think your position here is absurd.

    * You're implying that we need a violently imposed monopoly to save society from a voluntarily grown monopoly; that's an outright absurdity.

    In contrast, Capitalism embraces the fact that Men are Not Angels; it seeks to exploit their self-interest for the benefit of everyone else. Capitalism rejects Intelligent Design in favor of Evolution by Variation and Selection, the most robust and humane form of which is a market of voluntary interaction, where "voluntary" is defined by contracts negotiated in advance, and whose enforcement is necessarily specified in each contract and is therefore, by definition, also voluntary. Neither negotiation nor enforcement is magical; it does not require some transhuman entity or quasi-religiously revered monopoly; it doesn't require sacred symbols or annual pageants or hymns or the playing of an anthem while holding one's hand over one's heart, or the placing of a hand atop an ancient text; it is just a service like any other, and must itself necessarily be subjected to the same iterative, evolutionary process of the market. It is this Separation of Powers that protects society from Tyranny.

  18. Re: Britain wants to end the free Internet- covera by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yawn. You incels are so boring. No wonder no chicks will fck you:

  19. That's your straw man. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Americans have their fair share of authoritarianism.

  20. Bitcoin not decentralized, has not been for years by perpenso · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The entire purpose of cryptocurrency is to undermine the state. There is literally no other value add to the blockchainist (pseudo) decentralization model of electronic currency.

    Actually, bitcoin has undermine itself.

    Bitcoin is not decentralized and has not been for years. The underlying theory of bitcoin is that a diverse and decentralized population of users maintain the blockchain. Bitcoin has neither diversity nor decentralization. Bitcoin is not diverse as it is dominated by the manufacturers and owners of expensive and specialized mining hardware, ASICs. Bitcoin is not decentralized as 70%+ of the ASIC miners are in a single country, China, dependent upon inexpensive government control power. Bitcoin has deviated from its core design that was supposed to ensure security.

  21. Re:Bitcoin not decentralized, has not been for yea by Rob+Cebollero · · Score: 1

    yes, that's what the (pseudo) is there to indicate

    --
    Decentralization: the brief interval between the decline of one centralized regime and rise of another.
  22. Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by perpenso · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is good for Bitcoin

    It might be. It could force bitcoin to move from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake or some other scheme that distributes maintenance of the blockchain (and does not waste energy). Right now mining is not decentralizing.

    Bitcoin is not decentralized and has not been for years. The underlying theory of bitcoin is that a diverse and decentralized population of users maintain the blockchain via their ordinary computers. Bitcoin has neither diversity nor decentralization. Bitcoin is not diverse as it is dominated by the manufacturers and owners of expensive and specialized mining hardware, ASICs. Bitcoin is not decentralized as 70%+ of the miners are in a single country, China, and low cost government controlled power. Bitcoin has deviated from its core design that was supposed to ensure security. Bitcoin is vulnerable to government manipulation as it exists at the moment.

    If China follow through with a mining ban and bitcoin evolves, moves back towards its design, they yeah, that would be good. If not and it dies and some other blockchain based non-proof-of-work coin becomes dominant that too is good.

    1. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by FeelGood314 · · Score: 1

      Bitcoin can't move to proof-of-stake. Bitcoin has a way to vote for changes to the protocol but that voting is done by miners. The interests of miners are not the same as those of holders of the currency which are also different from the interests of users of the currency. Miners only care about short term mining rewards. They have to pay off their equipment today before newer equipment makes theirs obsolete. The want to keep the block reward as high as possible, high transaction costs are good for miners. People holding the currency are mostly doing it for speculation, their interest is the currency appreciating. Users of the currency care about transaction costs, transactions times and price stability.

    2. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by perpenso · · Score: 1

      Bitcoin can't move to proof-of-stake.

      Of course it can, it software based.

      Bitcoin has a way to vote for changes to the protocol but that voting is done by miners. The interests of miners are not the same as those of holders of the currency which are also different from the interests of users of the currency.

      A fork gets around this problem.

      People holding the currency are mostly doing it for speculation, their interest is the currency appreciating.

      Moving to non-proof-of-work does not remove the element of speculation.

    3. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by Rob+Cebollero · · Score: 1

      > distributes maintenance of the blockchain (and does not waste energy). Right now mining is not decentralizing.

      distribution and decentralization are not interchangeable terms. distribution relates to conserving existing structural resilience, decentralization is about control over future structural developments. Proof of stake merely moves the locus of this control from one kind of self-compounding initial advantage (access to cheap/free electricity, hardware, and facilities) to another (being among the first to begin staking a coin). This is not even addressing the problem that PoS tilts leverage into exchanges' hands even worse than PoW does, as most exchanges do not credit staked coins to users' accounts. There are also many specific-to-PoS incentive shell games that are played with staking coins which have the general effect of discouraging spending and consequently amplifying the appeal of speculation over all other potential uses. And decentralization itself not so much a well-defined doctrine as it is a mantra to be chanted uncritically by people who flippantly regard 'centralized' as an inherent evil.

      --
      Decentralization: the brief interval between the decline of one centralized regime and rise of another.
    4. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by Pinky's+Brain · · Score: 2

      A fork of bitcoin isn't bitcoin.

    5. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I see neither of you understands the differences between a Hard-Fork, a Soft-Fork, and User-Activated Fork (any-variety); and much less, even, about value of labor (Proof-of-Work) within the study of economics.

    6. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by perpenso · · Score: 1

      A fork of bitcoin isn't bitcoin.

      That's semantics. That your coins now have a different acronym and name is irrelevant.

    7. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Oh please, the faux-economics that coins have some basis from the cost of work put into their creation is nonsense. That's just the BS hand waiving of the scammers.

    8. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by perpenso · · Score: 1

      The fact remains that security of the bitcoin proof-of-work blockchain has been compromised by a lack of diversity and decentralization.

      Note that I did not refer to proof-of-stake exclusively. That is just one example mentioned by name. The fact remains that a non-proof-of-work system that does not waste enormous amounts of energy is needed.

      Problems related to the initial distribution of a proof-of-stake coin is mitigated by hybrid approaches. Such as etherium's plan to start with proof-of-work and migrate to proof-of-stake. The temporary "work" based phase helps with that early distribution. Bitcoin fits this pattern as well, making your initial staking arguments somewhat moot. We're not discussing a situation where a coin is "stake" based from day one.

      Speculation deterring usage is already a problem. Bitcoin has been and continues to be primarily a speculative vehicle.

      Its not that centralization is "evil". It is that the bitcoin security model is founded upon decentralization. Remove decentralization and the security model is non-existent. The only thing that prevents a government from forcing its will upon the blockchain, for example reversing transactions it disapproves of -- say someone transferring wealth overseas, is that the government has not chosen to do so. That is the problem with centralization of bitcoin mining.

    9. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      You're FUCKING STUPID.

      The RESOURCES CONSUMED by SUM of the ENTIRE industries of BANKING, Government, etc that are dedicated to "Money, aka worthless Fiat"... electric, buildings, HVAC, maintenance, parking lots, concrete, salaries, ALL of it...

      COMPLETELY FUCKING DWARF the much smaller amount used by all cryptocurrency combined.

      WAKE THE FUCK UP.

    10. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here is a freethought crypto service for you... 99% of you will fail at it...

      Those who neither harm nor steal from others are Moral.
      Taxation *IS* Theft, Theft is Immoral.
      That Theft is ultimately at Force of gunpoint Assault, such Force and Assault are Immoral.
      Resisting that Theft and Assault *WILL* get you Murdered, Murder is Immoral.

      Youtube search: Keith Knight, Larken Rose, Mark Passio, Gavin Seim, Taxation Is Theft

      After watching 100 videos or on that so over a few weeks to get
      your facts straight, then you can come back and talk proper Redpill.
      Till then stay Sheeple, my Slaves.

    11. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You are utterly fucking clueless.

    12. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Bitcoin can switch to POS only in your dreams. There is no way there can be consensus for such issue. POS is also considered inferior to POW because it is much harder to design if you want it to be truly decentralised. Look at Ethereum - they are still not there ... many will still prefer POW for its superior security and battle tested design.
      Btw, fuck big Chinese miners, they are a problem so good riddance.

    13. Re:Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ..and, Work, itself, as a defined by the physics of the known universe (see Law of Conservation of Energy).

        -YW

    14. Re: Bitcoin neither diverse nor decentralized by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      God you are so stupid it hurts others.

  23. Decentralization doesn't preclude centralization. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can build a centralized system on a fundamentally decentralized foundation (for the sake of efficiency), but you cannot build a decentralized system on a fundamentally centralized system.

    Bitcoin is fundamentally decentralized; any centralization is transient: When that centralization becomes corrupt, it will be interpreted as damage and routed around.

  24. All countries should/must ban cryptocurrencies!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "as they did not adhere to relevant laws and regulations, were unsafe, wasted resources or polluted the environment"

    IMHO:

    Cryptocurrencies are definitely unmatched when it comes to wasting electricity (& all resources used to produce that electricity)!!!
    Plus, they definitely encourage people of public to do many kinds of crime, like stealing electricity in anyway possible & financial crimes!!!

    ALL cryptocurrencies are just scams & their mining & trade should/must be banned by all countries!!!

  25. Why so serious? by Drunkulus · · Score: 0

    Ah, China! Remember these are the people that once banned the letter "N"? Maybe they'll back off. Bitcoin is just a fun computer game you can play with your kids. It's a great way to learn about money.

  26. Re:Decentralization doesn't preclude centralizatio by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    When that centralization becomes corrupt, it will be interpreted as damage and routed around.

    No it will not. That corruption will become part of the immutable blockchain. Blockchain security will be proven false and the coin fails.

  27. craigslist censors by themusicgod1 · · Score: 1

    I wouldn't use craigslist for anything, especially not guaging interest or use of anything. They have a history of censorship - ask switter

    --
    GENERATION 26: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation.
  28. Finally by Trogre · · Score: 1

    It's rare to see, but in this case the Chinese government is doing something right.

    At this stage the only difference these mining rigs are making to the world is making it warmer.

    --
    "Nine times out of ten, starting a fire is not the best way to solve the problem." - my wife
  29. "seeking public opinions" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That's the funniest thing I heard all day.

  30. fuck china by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Slashdot should ban a whole variety of folks.
    They never will because this site promotes warez- racisim- grudgers and stupid fucks
    As they say- it's the users that make a the site.
    Just stopped by to rub your nose in that

  31. Not quite accurate by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    China wants to ban the PRIVATE mining of all crypto. State sponsored mining, where the government is the beneficiary, is still perfectly welcome.

    Recall Bitmain is majority owned by the Chinese government.

  32. Re:Bitcoin not decentralized, has not been for yea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Comments like this are direct evidence of government-sponsored troll campaigns. Looks like they use bots for the initial spread-pattern, I'm sure an actual human will follow up to "debunk" me.

    All I ask is that readers passing through ask themselves why someone would post this shit unless they had an agenda to undermine that which cannot be undermined.

  33. But politicians are good at deciding right/wrong?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    A government is a monopoly that decrees its income at the point of a gun; politicians are people who buy votes with other people's money, and are universally regarded as silver-tongued liars. Whence come the moral angels in your government that will better choose right and wrong than you and me and the millions of other participants of the market?

    Apple uses slave labor to build its locked-down devices, so I don't buy their products. Meanwhile, it doesn't matter that I disagree with the bomb-dropping my government does; I'm forced at gunpoint to pay for it.

    So... what could your point possibly be?

    Government is better than the market at deciding what's right and wrong? What are you smoking?! Whatever it is, you'd better be careful, because your government might lock you up in a cage for possessing it, or even kill you.

  34. Re:Bitcoin not decentralized, has not been for yea by epine · · Score: 1

    The underlying premise of bitcoin is that a diverse and decentralized population of users maintain the blockchain.

    FTFY.

    The theory of Bitcoin is much narrower:
    * if you achieve diverse and decentralized in the real world, you're in a good place
    * mechanisms exist within Bitcoin to encourage (but not guarantee) this outcome

    Unpacking Suitcase Words — 2009

    In The Emotion Machine, Marvin Minsky discusses suitcase words—words that contain a variety of meanings packed into them, such as conscience, emotions, consciousness, experience, thinking, morality, right, and wrong.

    "Diversity" is just such a word: there's a potentially unlimited number of columns in the spreadsheet where diversity could collapse. (If there's a thing, there's diversity of the thing—or not.)

    Diversity and performance culture rarely go hand in hand. Have you looked at F1 lately? Apart from the decals and colouration, only an aficionado can even tell the cars apart.

    Seattle Slew sired 1,103 named foals, of which 537 (49%) were winners and 111 (10%) were stakes winners.

    Diversity culture, as practiced in 1001 Arabian Nights.

    If you didn't see the ASIC overlords looming on the horizon right out of the starting gate: wake up Little Susie, your recognizance is shot.

  35. Re:Bitcoin not decentralized, has not been for yea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All I ask is that readers passing through ask themselves why someone would post this shit unless they had an agenda to undermine that which cannot be undermined.

    All I ask is that people understand bitcoin's current flaws, ie failure to live up to its own security model and hence open itself to government (China) manipulations. To understand these current flaws before betting on bitcoin. In other words to make an informed decision rather than blindly accept the words of the zealots that all will be fine.

  36. Re:.. and exposure of Huawei abuse by Martin+S. · · Score: 1

    Nice to see the Huawei apologies are still running wild /sigh

    "Huawei caught spying on Pakistan's CCTV network"

    An exposure by the BBC's flagship current affair documentary, but hey, let the idiocracy run rampant.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/...

  37. Crypto by maxiposik · · Score: 0

    That really is a strange decision. Bitcoin is a great income opportunity for a huge amount of people why would they ban it? I know a lot of people who use crypto signals, pump and dump crypto groups, trading robots and make huge amounts of money.