jjreisert@alum.mit.edu
Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2018 16:13:33 -0700
Emmie Martin, CNBC, 27 Feb 2018 http://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/27/bill-gates-calls-cryptocurrency-super-risky-in-reddit-ama.html
Bill Gates is not a fan of cryptocurrency. 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.