65. On WikiLeaks Using Bitcoin

65

On WikiLeaks Using Bitcoin

IN LATE 2010, governments of the world were attempting to exert pressure on WikiLeaks by cutting off its sources of funding, which consisted primarily of online donations through credit card payments and PayPal.

When PayPal announced that it would block service to WikiLeaks, Satoshi stated that, in his opinion, Bitcoin was not yet ready to act as a replacement.

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/12/paypal-wikileaks/

Wikileaks contact info?

Posted by genjix, November 10, 2010, 12:49:16 PM

Hey, I wanted to send a letter to Wikileaks about Bitcoin since unfortunately they’ve had several incidents where their funds have been seized in the past. http://wikileaks.org/media/support.html

Anyone know where to send a message to them?

Re: Wikileaks contact info?

Posted by wumpus, December 04, 2010, 08:47:59 AM

Paypal just blocked them, and they’re trying to get other US banks do the same. This would be a great moment to open bitcoin donations.

Re: Wikileaks contact info?

Posted by RHorning, December 04, 2010, 10:17:44 PM

Quote from: Hal on December 04, 2010, 08:43:07 PM

Looking on the bright side, if Bitcoin did get known as the Wikileaks currency, attacked by governments all over the world, at least we’d get our Wikipedia page back!

This is so true. There certainly wouldn’t be a shortage of “reliable sources” about Bitcoins at that point. I think it would likely show up on the front page of most newspapers and be talked about extensively on both radio talk shows and the other broadcast networks too.

For myself, I’m getting to the point to say “bring it on” in regards to Wikileaks. Note that I’m using my real name here instead of a psuedonym and I’m willing to personally say “bring it on” in terms of being associated with Bitcoins as a project. I’ve had police come into my house without my permission already and do all kind of stupid stuff, so for me that line being crossed has already happened. I am also connected to enough people politically that if something was to happen to me that it would be noted and things would happen too.

It is the morally correct thing to be supporting Wikileaks, and if they’ll take a few of my bitcoins, I not only want to donate but to let the world know that they can donate to Wikileaks through Bitcoins as well.

I can’t speak for everybody here in the Bitcoins community but I am speaking for myself on this matter, and I’m not afraid of anything that the U.S. government might do to me if I was associated with backing Wikileaks financially. If anything, it would show that I no longer live under a constitutional government any more. If the U.S. government wants to tip their hand to expose themselves in that way, so be it. If the U.S. government kills me or puts me in jail, I’ll certainly set a way for this community to find out. I really don’t think it would come to that either, but I don’t care if it did.

If I have to “vote” on this matter, I would encourage the Bitcoin community to take up the plate like we did with the EFF and encourage Wikileaks to put up a Bitcoin address on their website for donations. It would bring in some new blood into the Bitcoin community regardless, and it might be beneficial to Wikileaks as well. Leave it to Wikileaks to see if they want to use Bitcoins or not. In terms of governmental review of Bitcoins, we know that is going to happen sooner or later, so why are we fighting that inevitable result? Anything other than a low-key nvestigation is only going to make more people interested in

Bitcoins, which is only going to help the project even more. It can’t be killed as a project, only slowed down a little bit in its growth at this point and more likely its adoption would be accelerated by any kind of publicity that would happen.

The only possible concern I would have is over how sound the protocol itself is right now. If anything, a major flux of new people into Bitcoins would help there too, and the worst that could happen is that Bitcoins itself would be broken in some way where a new cryptocurrency would have to be created fixing the problems of Bitcoins. It is the idea of cryptocurrency that would then persist, and it is incredibly hard to censor an idea.

Basically, bring it on. Let’s encourage Wikileaks to use Bitcoins and I’m willing to face any risk or fallout from that act.

-Robert S. Horning Logan, Utah

Re: Wikileaks contact info?

Posted by satoshi, December 05, 2010, 09:08:08 AM

Quote from: RHorning on December 04, 2010, 10:17:44 PM

Basically, bring it on. Let’s encourage Wikileaks to use Bitcoins and I’m willing to face any risk or fallout from that act.

No, don’t “bring it on”.

The project needs to grow gradually so the software can be strengthened along the way.

I make this appeal to WikiLeaks not to try to use Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a small beta community in its infancy. You would not stand to get more than pocket change, and the heat you would bring would likely destroy us at this stage.