At a summit in Washington on Bitcoin -related policies, Alex Gladstein, a strategist for Human Rights Foundation, launched a shock declaration: “Bitcoin is bad for dictators”. For him, it is a resistance tool against authoritarian regimes. A position which resonates all the more strong as the United States, for its part, discreetly build their own strategic reserve in BTC.
In short
- Bitcoin allows you to bypass controls of authoritarian regimes on money and identity.
- Human Rights Foundation defends its use as a bulwark against inflation and repression.
- Since 2013, the organization has used Bitcoin to support dissidents and pro-democracy movements.
- The United States, under Trump, also accumulates BTC, in a logic of monetary sovereignty.
Bitcoin decimates authoritarian control
Alex Gladstein, director of strategy at Human Rights Foundation, delivered an unequivocal message during Bitcoin Policy Summit in Washington.
Faced with an assembly of American political leaders, he said that Bitcoin “literally saves” citizens living in authoritarian regimes.
“Bitcoin is bad for dictators “, He spearemphasizing how much this technology weakens traditional levers for controlling oppressive states.
According to Gladstein, dictatorships generally rely on three tools to maintain their grip:
- Hyperinflation, which eats away saving it and impoverishing the population.
- The freezing of bank accounts, to stifle any opposition.
- Financial surveillance, in order to identify and neutralize dissidents.
If you keep your bitcoins yourself, governments cannot delete or freeze them, and they certainly cannot inflict hyperinflation you.
In countries where the economy vacillates and where fundamental freedoms are threatened, this form of financial independence becomes a vital rampart.
Of Ukraine in the United States, a strategic adoption
The history of Bitcoin as a resistance tool takes root in 2013, in the midst of a Ukrainian revolution.
While the pro-democracy demonstrators challenge the authoritarian regime of Viktor Ianoukovitch, the Human Rights Foundation discovers for the first time the subversive potential of this still stammering digital currency.
“” It was very early in the Bitcoin life cycle; Bitcoin was worth around one hundred dollars at the time; We were very skeptical about its effectiveness Remember Alex Gladstein.
Faced with the freezing of their bank accounts, the pro-democracy demonstrators were looking for a way to finance their actions without going through traditional circuits.
Bitcoin fulfilled this role: it allowed them ” to send value where classic money could no longer circulate ».
This first field experience has confirmed HRF in its intuition: Bitcoin can now bypass locked banking systems and offer a financial salvation board to oppressed activists.
Since then, the organization has supported many movements around the world based on this resilient technology.
The irony of history? This release weapon now appeals to the great powers. The United States, under the Donald Trump administration, accumulate bitcoin via legal seizures. Objective: to constitute a national strategic reserve. Bitcoin reveals its double nature: shield of oppressed, sword of sovereign states.
Gladstein nevertheless alerts: the effectiveness of this technology is based on rigorous use. “” If they use Bitcoin correctly, without associating their identity “, Citizens can escape surveillance. But simple technical negligence can compromise everything.
In short, Bitcoin is gradually imposed as a major geopolitical force. On the one hand, he emancipates citizens of authoritarian regimes. On the other, it becomes an instrument of power for Western democracies. This duality redefines global balances and could well transform the very nature of political power in the 21st century.
Maximize your Cointribne experience with our 'Read to Earn' program! For each article you read, earn points and access exclusive rewards. Sign up now and start accumulating advantages.
