The BTC core team was highly concerned with the legality of the network due to previous failed currency's (eCash, B-money, Bit Gold, and Hashcash) that ended up driving certain decisions in architecture.

The original btc had a networked pokergame along with the wallet, but was taken out for a couple of reasons, including regulatory issues.

I'm not saying parent is right, or wrong but to dismiss it and to speak for the core team out of hand is folly.

Please share your reasoning - as the sibling comment mentions, there was a series of high profile online cash cases at the time, KYC being the biggest problem. It'd be weird if they didn't think hard about avoiding the same fate and perhaps this was they way they've chosen.