"Perhaps it's the future of digital commerce? As it turns out, none of those really stuck, as extreme price swings and fees make the crypto a bad fit for most practical commercial purposes. The horrifying abduction of Nancy Guthrie, however, highlights perhaps the one persistent utility Bitcoin has been able to maintain: its place as the de facto global currency of crime."
"Unlike other ransom notes swirling around, there's reason to suspect the demand is legit; it reportedly included details about the home Guthrie was kidnapped from and what she was wearing when she disappeared, along with a deadline for payment. , which received a copy of the note, the address of the Bitcoin wallet included in the ransom note is authentic."
For years Bitcoin evangelists proposed uses like an inflation hedge or decentralized banking alternative, but extreme price swings and high fees limited practical commercial adoption. The horrifying abduction of Nancy Guthrie highlights Bitcoin's persistent utility as the de facto global currency of crime. A purported ransom demanded $6 million in Bitcoin, included details about the home and clothing, set a payment deadline, and listed an authentic wallet address. Bitcoin appeals to kidnappers because blockchain transactions, while trackable, allow criminals to more easily obfuscate identities than fiat transfers. Similar incidents include an alleged hostage-for-wallet plot by John Woeltz and a botched Paris kidnapping targeting Pierre Noizat's daughter.
Read at Futurism
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]