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Comment by SXX | Hacker News Reader

UK is as close to police / surveillance state as it can get: a lot of things are benned, privacy is severely limited, internet is censored, strong crypto isn't exactly legal (even though no one been thrown in jail, yet), banking banned crypto and have severe KYC requirements, etc.

So in many areas UK has less freedoms than poor authoritarian countries. I cant say anything about Germany since I havent lived there.

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It's fascinating to me that you've used "crypto" as synecdoche for both cryptography and cryptocurrency in successive parts of the same sentence!

Pardon me. I didnt put much mind into the fact this could be confusing.

It’s ok. You were just being a little crypto.

TIL what synechdoche means ...

Have a reference for strong crypto being illegal? I know the government store a month of all our personal correspondence (due to the snoopers charter) but Afaict crypto is still legal.

It is legal, but with caveat that you have to provide decryption keys on court order and refusing to do so is illegal. It wasn't heavily used against anyone as far as I aware, but it's can always change.

> banking banned crypto

cryptocurrency? Revenue taxes crypto gains so I doubt that.

Banks don't care if you paid taxes. Most of major banks will close your account if they suspect crypto-related transactions. And almost all fintech companies will ban your account if you even just buy crypto with a card payment: Wise, Monzo, Starling, etc.

crypto-related transactions is a different thing from banning banks from dealing in crypto. If banks don't want to deal with the Due-dil that's fair & fine to me. You don't need a bank to use an exchange.

> almost all fintech companies will ban your account

I believe revolut operates in the UK and allows you to trade in btc.

> You don't need a bank to use an exchange.

And what do you suggest to use? Trade crypto to cash? And then how will I put said cash on bank account without getting on check list?

In UK even if you have 1000 GBP in cash they look at you like you're drug dealer.

> I believe revolut operates in the UK and allows you to trade in btc.

Revolut itself is shady and at least until recently didnt have or used any banking license in UK. And it's can ban you at any moment for no reason.

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