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People keep saying this but it is very possible to stay anon while using Bitcoin. It's just complicated and people are lazy.

Like most other security features, laziness is a great defense. Most things can be cracked, but it's too tedious to.

The same thing is technically true for cash... it's just that people are lazy and there are lots of "gotchas".

Just tumble your coins, you'd need a super computer to find where they go. That's what things like Monero automatically do.

For tax purposes, it doesn't really matter that you laundered the money. They'll get you when you use it.

not for monero.

Ok, so we can forget it was initially sold as anonymous currency.

The current spin that passes my twitter timeline is that it is state independent. Technically it is, but the sense it conveys is 'out of the reach of governments'. (c.f. "Prince Ibn so-and-so should have put his money is bitcoins. haha".)

It is always helpful to take the old history books out of the dusty shelves and read up on e.g. The Opium Wars to have a 'better' understanding on the er 'softer' aspects of "money".