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> The crypto industry has basically done a speed run of the history of banking and finance over the last decade or so.

Does that mean it'll eventually eclipse and live in front of the current timeline of banking, so we'll see banking and finance following the crypto industry at one point, repeating the same mistake that happens in cryptocurrencies?




I think not. Once crypto scammers have retried everything from the history of fiat currency they'll just be in the same boat.

But it would be funny if banks started encrypting my files and demanding ransom.


The MPAA has been doing this for a while now. It's called DRM.


This is a really bad comparison: ransomeware restricts your data involuntarily. DRM restricts the creator’s data at their request with your voluntary agreement.



Not really: that incident got a huge amount of backlash and cost them a lot of money because it wasn’t informed or voluntary. Outside of Sony BMG’s senior management, nobody thought that was acceptable.


ridiculous statement. you're calling physical stores of value equal to nakamoto consensus secured digital ones.


Indeed the physical ones are better because they're secured by social consensus and the legal system. Much more efficient, much more effective.

Not your ability to keep your Ledger safe under your birdbath.


theft is theft, big guy, and you clearly are trying to misrepresent my point. try again.


Ah, it seems you're one of many who confuses "crypto" with cryptography and cryptocurrency. Cryptography is used for encrypting your files, not cryptocurrency. But it's a easy mistake to make so don't feel bad over it.


Literally the only reason ransomware is a thing is because of cryptocurrency.

Every oil pipeline, school, hospital, farm, old age home that's ransomed is 100% thanks to Bitcoin and its progeny. But hey, at least it's found a use case.


From: History of Ransomware [1]

> One of the first ransomware attacks ever documented was the AIDS trojan (PC Cyborg Virus) that was released via floppy disk in 1989. Victims needed to send $189 to a P.O. box in Panama to restore access to their systems, even though it was a simple virus that utilized symmetric cryptography.

[1] https://www.crowdstrike.com/cybersecurity-101/ransomware/his...


Yeah it existed before but it was pretty futile; you can’t exactly send millions of dollars in the form of target gift cards by mail.


Attackers who encrypt files and demand payment famously demanded cryptocurrency, in part because of the "transactions cannot be reversed" property and the (pseudo-)anonymity.

As banking transactions can be reversed and are as opposite of anonymous as is practically possible, it would be (darkly) amusing if a traditional bank did that, precisely because the damage would be undone and the guilty parties trivially identified.


gp is not confusing crypto/cryptography/cryptocurrency

They're making a jab at a large usage of cryptocurrency: payment for ransomware exploits


They're referencing the fact that crypto is famously used as a payment mechanism by entities that hold people/companies to ransom by encrypting their data against their will.


I suspect it means that central banks will issue their own digital currencies to enforce negative interest rates. That will break the lower bound and allow economic stimulation from deflationary conditions.




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