Can Bitcoin Really be Censored, Controlled, and Mass Surveilled? – Cryptonews

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A recent debate in the Cryptoverse has brought forward yet again a number of vital questions concerning the very basis of Bitcoin (BTC) - and crypto in general: how safe is BTC from censorship, control, and surveillance?

The participant in this debate are Kevin Sekniqi, Co-founder and Chief Protocol Architect at blockchain startup AVA Labs, former software engineer at Microsoft on the one side, and on the other, Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy Officer at Human Rights Foundation (HRF), Vice President of Strategy for the Oslo Freedom Forum, and an advisor to venture capital company Blockchain Capital.

The entire discussion started with Gladstein's take on the benefits of Bitcoin, an asset like none before, as he said, tweeting out a list on February 18:

Not everybody agreed with all the points on this list, with commenters pointing out instances of censorship, interference and surveillance by government agencies, centralization of mining resources, etc.

One of the people disagreeing is Sekniqi, who promptly launched a series of "attacks" on what he calls "an unfortunate series of Bitcoin narratives." He adds: "Bitcoin is a technological breakthrough, but it does not live outside our universe and is therefore breakable." He made the arguments that Bitcoin can be effectively shut down:

And there we have it - the two camps of opinion with commenters falling in one, or the other, and everywhere in between, taking the argument into the next day. People quickly started taking sides, and soon both Sekniqi's and Gladstein's honesty was put into question and conflicts of interest raised. The latter argues that the former is "pushing a shitcoin competitor" to Bitcoin, given that AVA labs is behind Athereum, an experimental Ethereum testnet, with a native token ATH, and claims that Sekniqi's project can't compare to BTC. However, Tim Swanson, head of market intelligence at blockchain builder Clearmatics, joined the discussion to point out Gladstein's "hypocrisy" as he too is promoting a coin.

Gladstein responded today with a promised series of videos, to defend his position, counter Sekniqi's arguments, and invite a conversation on these issues. He too finds that the other side is promoting false narratives not based in the real world, and concludes that:

This was the last episode so far in this series of discussions, but the debate in general, permeating the Cryptoverse, will certainly continue, giving its complex nature.

Which side are you on? What important details Sekniqi and Gladstein missed in their arguments? Let us know in the comments section below.___Learn more: What Could Kill Bitcoin and How Possible it isHey, Govt Officials! Do You Still Think You Can Ban Bitcoin?Bitcoin Perhaps More Dependent on Governments than Many Think7 Biggest Misconceptions About Bitcoin, Picked by 6 Crypto ExpertsBitcoin Price Might Hit USD 1M Sooner Than a Quantum Computer Attacks

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Can Bitcoin Really be Censored, Controlled, and Mass Surveilled? - Cryptonews