#release ross ulbricht

[jackomaha]

Release Ross Ulbricht

Ever since I finished reading Nick Bilton's book on Ross Ulbricht's amazon for illegal drugs (the silk road) I've had a gnawing discontent with the conclusion of the case. The book is called "American Kingpin" and the story follows a similar prose to the ambitious entrepreneurial adventures of Bezos, Zuckerberg, & Jobs - thorough journalism and competent writing is all the display the story needs, as a true story that reads like fiction tends to seamlessly entrance a reader.

The best sell I can give it is it's like the most realistic version of breaking bad with Ross Ulbricht being the lovechild of Walter White and Mark Zuckerberg. Or Ed Snowden and Ted Kaczynski. Or Steve Jobs with an ideology. I mean, never mind, it's not like Ross is reading this cooking in his prison cell - it's just a shame that unbridled genius gets the maximum punishment when it doesn't comply with the above the law forces of evil that run this country. I can't stress how much of a boot in the face Zuckerberg has become to Ulbricht. Say what you will of the dangers of having lethal substances purchasable like alexas on amazon - I'm not putting down anyone's moral qualms about the Silk Road; there's no point when Ross has been receiving punishment while Zuckerberg exploits his users privacy for unlimited financial gain and kowtows to the intelligence agencies at further expense to his users and the country at large. That's what I'm fucking trying to get at. It's not even anger directed at Zuckerberg, hemming and hawing over moral dilemmas of Zuck and Ulbricht with smoking pipe bifocal-turtleneck intellectualism is such a futile approach overlooking the real tragedy: they're two sides of the same coin, punishing or corrupting the brilliance of individuals from the above the law forces of evil that run this country and destroy this world. We discovered the genius of the unabomber then let them declare him insane and put him in a cage for the last 25 years of his life? In a perfectly absurd world Kaczynski would've been given the chancellor position at his alma mater. Could you imagine how lush of a world we'd be living in if Harvard grads had been coming into the workforce with a healthy dose of the unabomber's train of thought? Technology designed to blossom our human qualities rather than erode or corrupt them? An internet that waters our individual thinking rather than enslave us to entertainment and drown out our individual identity? Good or evil, genius should not be wasted because ALL genius can be used to benefit the species. It's just a matter of limiting each one's power & control. Shooting stars don't die in space, they disintegrate into our atmosphere and sprinkle upon a handful of people at birth. It's up to the rest of us to prevent their potential going to waste.

Fuck if Ross Ulbricht ever gets released he should be donned the head of the fed. Walter White got the fate he deserved so why can't Ross? Right now Ulbricht should be replacing the fed with blockchain tech and rallying a comeback for a cash-in-hand society. I've never been a real drug user or homeless and I don't mean to romanticize, but I just have this nasty gut feeling that a cashless society takes away the good huck finn adventure in both.

The end of breaking bad is the final emphasis on a work of great fiction. Great fiction doesn't just describe reality, it describes how reality is supposed to be without creating anything like playing god. Where unfettered evil stole the magical order of a chaotic universe, great fiction writers remind us of its original place.

[basedhighsenberg]

I am really not okay with people celebrating about Ross Ulbricht getting out of jail when he hasn't been released yet

"Day one" yeah okay. Wasn't Hillary getting locked up on day one?

I'll celebrate when it happens, until then he is still in fucking prison.

[ritchiepage2001newaccount]

#CorpMedia #Idiocracy #Oligarchs #MegaBanks vs #Union #Occupy #NoDAPL #BLM #SDF #DACA #MeToo #Humanity #DemExit #FeelTheBern

LISTEN The Ex-Worker #36: The Rojava Revolution [UPDATES]

https://crimethinc.com/2015/05/18/the-ex-worker-36-the-rojava-revolution

#36: The Rojava Revolution - The Ex-Worker is back! We may have taken a break, but global resistance and social struggles have not. In this episode, we focus on the unfolding social revolution in Rojava, or western Kurdistan, where an ambitious set of political, economic, and military experiments are transforming the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. In the borderlands of Turkey and Syria, self-organized militias have successfully opposed the Islamic State while challenging gender oppression and securing autonomy for an emerging stateless society. Interviews with supporters from the Turkish group “Revolutionary Anarchist Action” (DAF) set the stage, complemented by a Kurdish refugee and activist’s reflections on the role of women’s resistance to patriarchy. We also review “A Small Key Can Unlock a Large Door,” a recently released anthology of texts describing the Rojava revolution, and continue our yearly tradition of a lively report of May Day actions across the globe. We also respond to a variety of listener feedback, with discussions of the Ross Ulbricht case, anarchist parenting, and how even spambots are impacted by recent revolutionary struggles...

RELATED UPDATE: LISTEN Episode #39: The Rojava Revolution, Part II

https://crimethinc.com/2015/07/29/episode-39-the-rojava-revolution-part-ii

RELATED UPDATE: The Rojava Revolution – A Decade On (Part I)

https://rojavainformationcenter.com/2022/07/10-years-of-the-rojava-revolution-much-achieved-still-much-to-come/

RELATED UPDATE: A poem about the Rojava Revolution

https://www.hawarnews.com/en/haber/a-poem-about-the-rojava-revolution-h31868.html

RELATED UPDATE: Rojava’s Experiment in Radical Democracy Braces for Turkish Invasion

https://truthout.org/articles/rojavas-experiment-in-radical-democracy-braces-for-turkish-invasion/

RELATED UPDATE: Turkey Is Starving the Rojava Revolution

https://jacobin.com/2022/11/rojava-turkey-attacks-water-shortage-cooperative-economy/

RELATED UPDATE: “They have the technology, they have the weapons, they have the money, they have everything. What do we have? We have solidarity!” Lessons from the Rojava Revolution

https://lefteast.org/lessons-from-rojava-revolution/

RELATED UPDATE: Andok: The Rojava Revolution attracts and fascinates all humanity - PART THREE

https://anfenglish.com/features/andok-the-rojava-revolution-attracts-and-fascinates-all-humanity-part-three-66061

RELATED UPDATE: ‘People of Rojava never gave up on Newroz and turned it into a day of resistance’

https://anfenglish.com/rojava-syria/people-of-rojava-never-gave-up-on-newroz-and-turned-it-into-a-day-of-resistance-66148

RELATED UPDATE: Women’s cooperatives overcome water wars and climate drought in Rojava

https://www.equaltimes.org/women-s-cooperatives-overcome?lang=en

RELATED UPDATE: First episode of new TV series by Rojava Film Commune will air on 2 April

https://anfenglish.com/features/first-episode-of-new-tv-series-by-rojava-film-commune-will-air-on-2-april-66235

RELATED UPDATE: Brazilian ballet dancer and actress finds inspiration in women’s revolution in Syria’s Rojava

https://medyanews.net/brazilian-ballet-dancer-and-actress-finds-inspiration-in-womens-revolution-in-syrias-rojava/

RELATED UPDATE: Is Rojava a socialist utopia?

https://unherd.com/2023/03/is-rojava-a-socialist-utopia/

RELATED UPDATE: Internationalist Martyrs of the Rojava Revolution -I: Paramaz Kızılbaş

https://anfenglish.com/news/internationalist-martyrs-of-the-rojava-revolution-i-paramaz-kizilbas-66284

RELATED UPDATE: 'Iranian women's uprising not first feminist revolution, we must take note of Kurdish Revolution in Syria'

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/iranian-womens-uprising-not-first-feminist-revolution-we-must-take-note-of-kurdish-revolution-in-syria/articleshow/99059080.cms?from=mdr

RELATED UPDATE: Internationalist Martyrs of the Rojava Revolution -II: Sarya Özgür

https://anfenglish.com/news/internationalist-martyrs-of-the-rojava-revolution-ii-sarya-Ozgur-66308

RELATED UPDATE: International martyrs of the Rojava Revolution - III: Emir Qubadi

https://anfenglish.com/features/international-martyrs-of-rojava-revolution-iii-emir-qubadi-66319

RELATED UPDATE: PJAK Co-Chair Vejin: Öcalan's birth is our birth

https://anfenglishmobile.com/kurdistan/pjak-co-chair-vejin-Ocalan-s-birth-is-our-birth-66321

RELATED UPDATE: ADGB resumes campaign for 0calan’s freedom

https://anfenglishmobile.com/news/adgb-resumes-campaign-for-Ocalan-s-freedom-66325

RELATED: The Metropolitan Anarchist Coordinating Council

https://macc.nyc/

RELATED: Rojava Solidarity

http://www.supportrojava.org/

RELATED: WATCH The Rojava Revolution and Democratic Confederalism

https://geo.coop/content/rojava-revolution-and-democratic-confederalism

RELATED: A Small Key Can Open a Large Door

https://www.akpress.org/catalog/product/view/id/2722/s/a-small-key-can-open-a-large-door/

RELATED: Revolution in Rojava - Democratic Autonomy and Women's Liberation in Syrian Kurdistan

http://www.plutobooks.com/9781783719884/revolution-in-rojava/

[thefreethoughtprojectcom]

Did Trump's influence at the LNC and talk of commuting Ross Ulbricht's sentence play a role in the release of Julian Assange? 2020 LP VP candidate, Spike Cohen, speculates on that question!

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guest-spike-cohen-why-assange-is-free-trumps-5-d-chess/id1439014279?i=1000660801816

Spotify: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guest-spike-cohen-why-assange-is-free-trumps-5-d-chess/id1439014279?i=1000660801816

[hybridmindthoughtsreloaded]

Trump is running on China style swift trials and mandatory death sentences for all drug dealers, but yet is saying he'll release Ross Ulbricht on day 1 if he's elected. Trump will say anything to get elected, remember the whole "lock her up" scam?

[ailtrahq]

In a recent post on the social platform X, Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the infamous darknet marketplace Silk Road, revealed that he has now spent an entire decade in prison. Ulbricht, currently serving a double life sentence, has been controversial since his arrest in 2013. Debate Erupts Over Ulbricht’s Punishment On Oct. 2, Ulbricht took to social platform X to share that he has now endured ten years of imprisonment, expressing his fear that he would spend his remaining days trapped within “concrete walls and locked doors.” One year for each finger on both hands. Today ends a full decade in prison. I sometimes fear I’ll spend the rest of my life behind concrete walls and locked doors. But I have no one else to blame. It’s my poor choices that led me here. All I can do now is pray for mercy. — Ross Ulbricht (@RealRossU) October 1, 2023 Supporters on X rallied around Ulbricht, arguing that his punishment didn’t align with the crime he committed. One user asserted, “The punishment should match the crime, and the one you were given does not even come close to that.” Another pointed out that individuals guilty of more serious offenses have had opportunities for redemption. Ulbricht’s case has gained significant attention. Over 250 organizations advocate for his release, with half a million people signing a virtual petition. He has also gained backing from the crypto and Bitcoin communities, with some referring to him as a “Bitcoin political prisoner.” Ross Ulbricht is a Bitcoin political prisoner. He has been in prison since 2013. Some would prefer we forget him, but Bitcoiners never will. — Ross was sentenced by the federal government to 2 life sentences + 40 years with no parole. As a first-time offender and convicted… pic.twitter.com/usPlbN79j1 — Phree ☢️ (@BitPhree) September 30, 2023 However, not everyone agrees with this sentiment. Some users claim that Ulbricht’s prosecution involved allegations of hiring hitmen to commit murder, although he was not formally charged with these crimes. Furthermore, other users have highlighted the negative aspects of the Silk Road, such as its involvement in sex trafficking and illegal drug trade, arguing that it facilitated these illegal activities. Silk road sold drugs, human trafficking and other things. Let’s not pretend like it wasn’t used by terrible people to do this stuff. That being said I’m sure that’s not how he intended it to be used — shoooooooo (@shoooiiiii) October 2, 2023 The controversy surrounding Ulbricht’s case is intensified by comparisons to sentences given to others linked to the Silk Road. Advocates for Ulbricht’s freedom highlight that the average sentence for those involved is about six years. The top drug seller received only seven years in prison before being released. Moreover, the creators of Silk Road 2.0 served minimal or no time in jail and are now free. The Darknet Market That Pioneered Illegal Trade with Bitcoin Silk Road began operations in 2011 as a pioneering darknet market where users could buy and sell illegal goods and services using Bitcoin as the primary currency. Ulbricht, operating under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” managed the platform from his laptop. It quickly gained attention as the first modern darknet market. The U.S. FBI seized Ulbricht’s laptop on October 1, 2013, effectively ending his reign over the Silk Road. Subsequently, in 2015, he was convicted in a U.S. federal court on multiple charges related to the marketplace’s operations and sentenced to two life terms plus forty years, with no possibility of parole. Court documents revealed that Silk Road facilitated the sale of 9,519,664 Bitcoin between February 2011 and July 2013, collecting commissions totaling 600,000 Bitcoin, roughly equivalent to $1.2 billion in sales and $80 million in commissions at the time of publication.

[don-lichterman]

SILK ROAD Movie Cip - I Have Access Scene (2021) Nick Robinson

SILK ROAD Movie Cip – I Have Access Scene (2021) Nick Robinson

SILK ROAD Movie Cip – I Have Access Scene (2021) Nick Robinson Watch popular trailers NOW! — https://bit.ly/2NgMhHH PLOT: Philosophical twenty-something Ross Ulbricht creates Silk Road, a dark net website that sells drugs, while DEA agent Rick Bowden goes undercover to bring him down. RELEASE DATE: 19 February 2021 (USA) GENRE: Crime, Drama, Thriller STARS: Nick Robinson, Jennifer Yun, Jimmi…

[thepeoplesmovies]

War on Drugs: Silk Road and the Best Films About Real-Life Drug Industry Take-Downs

War on Drugs: Silk Road and the Best Films About Real-Life Drug Industry Take-Downs

The dangerous world of illegal drug deals has always offered the chance of big bucks for the enterprising gangsters prepared to do whatever it takes to get what they want… and for the cinema box office it seems audiences can’t get enough of the shocking, illicit exploits of those living on the wrong side of the law. Inspired by larger-than-life events, riveting new crime thriller Silk Road…

[cryptobitnews]

Online Petition Asking for Ross Ulbricht’s Release Gathers 275K Signatures A petition calling on the White House to release Ross Ulbricht, the creator of the dark web marketplace Silk Road, has gathered more than 275,000 signatures.

[lkabonginexile]

Clemency for Ross Ulbricht, Serving Double Life for a Website





FreeRoss.org started this petition to President of the United States

My son, Ross Ulbricht, is a first-time offender serving a double life sentence without parole, plus 40 years, for a website he made when he was 26 years old and passionate about free markets and privacy. Ross―an Eagle Scout, scientist and peaceful entrepreneur―had all non-violent charges at trial. He was never prosecuted for causing harm or bodily injury and no victim was named at trial.

This is a sentence that shocks the conscience.

There is a growing consensus that Ross’s case is a miscarriage of justice. Nearly 200 organizations, eminent individuals and leaders have voiced their support.

The website Silk Road was an e-commerce platform similar to eBay, where consenting users chose what to buy and sell as long as no third party was harmed (some listings were prohibited). Both legal and illegal items were sold, most commonly personal amounts of cannabis.

Ross is condemned to die in prison, not for selling drugs himself but for creating a website where others did. This is far harsher than the punishment for many murderers, pedophiles, rapists and other violent people. All the other defendants related to the case―including the actual drug sellers and the creator of Silk Road 2―received sentences ranging from 17 months to 10 years.

Ross’s investigation, trial and sentencing were rife with abuse. This includes corrupt federal investigators (now in prison) who were hidden from the jury, as well as prosecutorial misconduct, constitutional violations and reliance on uncharged, false allegations at sentencing. Ross was smeared in the media through false and inaccurate reporting.

Ross was not treated fairly and his sentence is draconian.

Justice was not served.

We, the undersigned, seek mercy for Ross Ulbricht. He told the court that starting Silk Road was a terrible mistake that he deeply regrets, that he never intended harm, and that he has learned the heavy price of breaking the law. Ross is not a danger to anyone. If released tomorrow, he would never come near breaking the law again.

Ross’s life history clearly shows he is a compassionate young man who is very much loved and has much to give. The judge received 100 letters attesting to his excellent character and how much he has helped others. These include those in prison, where he has demonstrated exemplary behavior and tutored, led classes, and helped fellow inmates.

Keeping Ross caged for life helps no one; will cost taxpayers about $2 million; and deprives society of an exceptionally kind, generous and creative person.

Even in the face of his walking death sentence, Ross clings to the hope of a second chance. He dreams of a future where he can be reunited with his loved ones, start a family, and use his education and skills to contribute to society.

Mr. President, please commute Ross Ulbricht’s unjust sentence.

Learn more about Ross's case at FreeRoss.org.

[goforcrypto]

Times Square Billboard Calls for Release of Silk Road Founder

Times Square Billboard Calls for Release of Silk Road Founder

A billboard demanding for the release of Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht will reside in Times Square for several months.

The ‘Free Ross’ movement has hired a billboard in New York’s Times Square as part of its campaign for the release of the Silk Road darknet market founder Ross Ulbricht.

According to the Twitter account ‘Clemency for Ross’ the billboard will display the message and image for…

[bowsetter]

Bitcoin Cash Register Surpasses 10,000 Installs and BCH is Coming to Brave in Weekly Video Update

Bitcoin Cash Register has surpassed 10,000 installs on the Google Play Store, live streaming platform Twitch reinstates cryptocurrency payments and BCH is coming to the Brave web browser. Watch these and other developments discussed in this week’s video update on Bitcoin.com’s Youtube channel.

Also Read: Over 22,000 Traders Have Now Signed up to Local.Bitcoin.com

Twitch Reenables Cryptocurrency Payments

Twitch is a video streaming platform owned by Amazon with more than 15 million unique daily visitors who mainly use it for watching live gaming and esports. Earlier this year, the website stopped accepting cryptocurrency payments by removing support for Bitpay. However, recently Twitch users have reported that the option to pay with bitcoin cash (BCH) and bitcoin core (BTC) is available once again.

Speaking about Bitpay, the leading cryptocurrency payment processor has launched a new directory for anyone who is looking for recommended places to spend their BCH or BTC. The directory features a variety of retailers, arranged by categories such as electronics and fashion. The entertainment and gaming section still doesn’t mention that Twitch is back, but does cover other online play options such as Chess.com.

In addition to enabling businesses to accept crypto payments, Bitpay also empowers charities to accept donations in digital assets. Recently the Tony Hawk Foundation announced it is now accepting cryptocurrencies from supporters through Bitpay.

BCH is Coming Soon to Brave Browser

Brendan Eich is creator of the Javascript programming language, co-founder of Mozilla and Firefox and current CEO of Brave Software. Eich revealed on Twitter that bitcoin cash (BCH) is coming soon to the Brave browser as an additional funding option in version 0.68 of the app. Brave is an open-source web browser based on Chromium that blocks ads by default but allows users to support the sites they visit with cryptocurrency.

The HTC Exodus 1 phone will also feature Brave as the default browser in its upcoming release. Bitcoin.com CEO Roger Ver commented: “I think I may have to switch my phone to an HTC phone once all of this is out.”

BCH and other funding choices coming in @Brave 0.68 (following up on https://t.co/XSSkZh1o2B). pic.twitter.com/KtZ6VwdVA2

— BrendanEich (@BrendanEich) June 22, 2019

Bitcoin Cash Register Surpasses 10,000 Installs

Bitcoin Cash Register is a simple point-of-sale (PoS) app from Bitcoin.com that allows any business to accept BCH payments at any retail location. Merchants can choose from over 150 fiat currencies, and cash out customers wanting to pay in BCH in a non-custodial manner, without any registration. The app is available both for iOS and Android devices and has surpassed 10,000 installs on the Google Play Store.

The weekly video update also covered a couple of upcoming community events. The newest Bitcoin Cash Conference is coming to North Queensland, Australia, on Sept. 4 – 5. And Anarchovegas is coming up this July 20 – 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada, promoting individualism and freedom, with a special benefit to support Ross Ulbricht.

Make sure to subscribe to the Bitcoin.com Youtube channel and leave a comment on the latest video.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH and other coins, on our market charts at Bitcoin.com Markets, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com.

The post Bitcoin Cash Register Surpasses 10,000 Installs and BCH is Coming to Brave in Weekly Video Update appeared first on Bitcoin News.

READ MORE http://bit.ly/2RIlguw

[seanomahony-blog1]

The Changing Web - ‘Web 3.0, 4.0 & Blockchain Technology’

THE CHANGING WEB

‘Web 3.0, 4.0 & Blockchain Technology’

Table of Contents

Intro - Review of Blockchain Technology ................................................  3

Bitcoin Definition ...................................................................................... 4

How it Works ............................................................................................ 4

Impact of Blockchain Technology ............................................................ 5

The Black Market ..................................................................................... 5

DApps & Smart Contracts ........................................................................ 5

Banking Sector ......................................................................................... 6

Reflection on the Evolution of Blockchain Technology ............................ 7

Unbanked and Undocumented ... ............................................................ 7

Business ................................................................................................... 8

Conclusion ............................................................................................... 8

The Changing Web – ‘Web 3.0, 4.0 and Blockchain Technology’

“A blockchain is a digitized, decentralized, public ledger of all cryptocurrency transactions. Constantly growing as ‘completed’ blocks (the most recent transactions) are recorded and added to it in chronological order, it allows market participants to keep track of digital currency transactions without central record-keeping. Each node (a computer connected to the network) gets a copy of the blockchain, which is downloaded automatically.”i

Intro - Review of Blockchain Technology

In late 2017, a cauldron started to boil similar to the ‘dot com’ bubble of the 1990s and 2000s as billions of dollars poured into the unregulated, ‘wild west’ of cryptocurrency markets. Millions of people worldwide, traded ‘cryptos’ using exchanges based in Hong Kong, China and New Zealand.

As Large amounts of capital flooded into these volatile markets prices could shoot-up or drop off the bat of a single tweet, or Reddit post. ‘Noobs’ were encouraged to ‘HODL’, a purposely misspelt acronym - ‘hold on for dear life’, and not to panic sell as prices would eventually recover. Like wall street on amphetamines, a week in crypto markets were equivalent to a month on the NASDAQ. Market leader ‘Bitcoin’ at one-point hit $21,000 a coin (in December 2013 it was trading in the mid $300s).ii Like all bubbles, it eventually popped in mid-January and a lot of capital changed hands. A classic gold rush, those who got in early made money and those who were late to the party generally got scalded.

But what are these crypto-currencies? Why have they become so popular in recent years? Are they important to the development of digital technology? And if so, why? In order to understand it’s development, we need to go back to the financial crash of 2008 where elusive and enigmatic creator ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ first conceived Bitcoin.iii

Roots and Political Importance

2008 was a devastating year for financial markets as the world economy collapsed due to reckless lending practices and a deregulated credit market caused a huge bubble that eventually burst, destroying the U.S. economy, leaving millions homeless and wreaked havoc in Europe, especially Ireland, Greece, Spain and Italy. Due to this, many began to distrust centralized financial institutions, seeking safer alternatives. This is when Bitcoin was born. In 2013, Cypriots fearing the safety of their bank deposits drove the price of bitcoin up 87% in March of 2013. iv 13,000 miles away from and 2 months later in June of 2013, and13,000 miles away in Hong Kong former NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked documents to the Guardian and Washington Post exposing the American National Security Agency’s spy program PRISM “which forces biggest US internet companies to hand over data on domestic users” and “collects over 25 million email inbox views and contact lists a year from online services like Yahoo, Gmail and Facebook” encouraging people to become aware of how their data is being collected and and the importance of encryption as a necessary protection in our day to day lives (these leaks have paved the way to the recent GDPR data protection act in Europe earlier this year).v At the same time as these leaks, libertarian Ross Ulbricht (arrested in October of 2013) was running a multi-million global online drug and weapon bazaar on the dark web called the Silk Road. This network was fueled by bitcoin.

It’s important to note the political climate and general public sentiment between 2008 and 2013 to understand the blockchain space today as it demonstrates a psychological shift as distrust in banks were at an all time generational low which has paved the way forthe ‘post-trust’ economy blooming today.

Bitcoin Definition

“Bitcoin (BTC) is a digital currency, which is used and distributed electronically. Bitcoin is adecentralized peer-to-peer network. No single institution or person controls it. Bitcoins can’tbe printed and their amount is very limited – only 21 million Bitcoins can ever be created.”vi

Bitcoin is a monumentally important development in both financial and digital history for the simple reason that it is a trustless payment system with no central governing body.

How it Works

Understanding how bitcoin works is fundamental to understanding blockchain technology and what I believe the future of web development, the basics of which are easy to understand –

Any given blockchain consists of a single chain of information, arranged in chronological order. In principle this information can be any string of 1s and 0s – emails, contracts, land titles etc.… however in bitcoin's case the information is mostly transactions. Another name for a blockchain is a "distributed ledger" and Bitcoin's ledger is public.Anyone can download it in its entirety or head to any number of sites that parse it. You can

see, for example, that

15N3yGu3UFHeyUNdzQ5sS3aRFRzu5Ae7EZ sent 0.01718427 bitcoin to 1JHG2qjdk5Khiq7X5xQrr1wfigepJEK3t on August 14, 2017, between 11:10 and 11:20 a.m.vii

Person A sent X bitcoin to person B, who sent Y bitcoin to person C, etc. If this was through an online banking service, the bank, or both banks (if they have separate banks) would validate the transaction. Bitcoin transactions are different because they are decentralized.

In other words, everyone keeps an eye on everyone else. No one needs to know or trust anyone as transactions are validated through a distributed consensus system called ‘mining’, which enforces a chronological order to the blockchain, protecting the neutrality of the network, and allows different computers to agree on the state of the system, or in simple terms, a global network of computers set-up to automatically validate transactions in chronological order. Every transaction is recorded by a distributed public ledger of which each miner has a copy (automatically downloaded after each transaction). This makes the system difficult to corrupt. viii ix

Impact of Blockchain Technology

The Black Market

In the early days, bitcoin had a huge impact on the black market and became known as a medium of exchange for illegal activities online. A new kind of drug dealer was born. Most famously is a man named Ross Ulbricht (inspired by the Austrian economic theory of Ludwig Von Mises and Murray Rothbard), set-up and ran the Silk Road, an online international illegal drug and weapons bazaar similar to Ebay and Amazon where buyers, sellers and their product would be rated through a user review system. This website was run on bitcoin as it allowed frictionless cross-boarder payments between buyers and sellers. Many pubs also started to accept BTC as payment, and in 2010 Papa Johns once accepted a bitcoin payment for pizza in the US.x xi

In recent years a number of ‘privacy coins’ have sprung up such as Dash, Monero and Verge. Monero is similar to Bitcoin however, payments are scrambled 3 times before being recorded on the Monero ledger making it near impossible to trace payments, providing an ideal medium of exchange for illegal activities. Verge is an interesting one, as it has both a private and public ledger, and you can choose to switch between them depending on what you are purchasing. Verge partnered with adult entertainment giant ‘Pornhub’ earlier this year allowing anonymous safe anonymous payments for pornography.

DApps & Smart Contracts

Although still a minority sport, the influence of crypto currencies began to trickle into the technology sector with the emergence of new coins such as Litecoin and Swiftcoin in 2011, (which can perform transactions much faster than its predecessor). However, 2015 saw the biggest change in the cryptocurrency space that would have a huge influence on the technology sector. The birth of Ethereum, a planetary scale computer powered by blockchain technology” was the first decentralized application blockchain that allows developers to build and release applications on the network. While the Bitcoin blockchain facilitates electronic cash payments, the Ethereum blockchain facilitates the running of code on any decentralized application, so as bitcoin is a new currency and accepted as a medium of exchange, ‘ether’ is gas to fuel the applications. xii

Imagine all of Google’s servers in one place, then break them up into virtual tokens (ether) and distribute them to people across the world. Each token is a node on the Ethereum network and the aggregate grid of these nodes now becomes the world’s largest web server, like a brand new internet system.

DApps are made possible by ‘Smart Contract’ technology -

“A contract is an agreement having a lawful contract entered into voluntarily by two or more parties, each of whom intends to create one or more legal contracts between them. A smart contract is a computer protocol that facilitates, verifies, or enforces the negotiation of a contract, or that obviate the need for a contractual clause” Smart contracts eliminate the need for a middle-man or third party, so any application that is centralized, a decentralized version can be made. For example, a decentralized version of

Dropbox is called Storj. Storj allows anyone around the world to lease out hard-drive space to anyone using the Storj protocol.

As a user, your experience is similar to that of Dropbox as I am accessing hard drive space in the cloud, however it isn’t governed by a central body. Storj is run on the Ethereum network using EC20 tokens. Ethereum and other Dapp and Smart Contract blockchains are important because the public distributed ledger technology allows no third party interference and no censorship, which could revolutionize law and voting practices and make society and private business a fairer place. New organisations and companies are competing with Ethereum to become the first mainstream DApp network, mostly importantly EOS and Cardano.

Banking Sector

The banking system as we know it has been disrupted by crypto-currencies and many banks such as Santander, JP Morgan Singapore and Bank of America are beginning to adopt this new technology.xiii Bitcoin was embryonic in the development of this space because it clunky and slow, however paradoxically, it paved the way for 2 important currencies are Ripple (XRP) and Stellar (XLM) which have become important in the development in the movement of money, particularly the settlement of cross-border payments and digital settlements. The way to understand these currencies or systems, is to think of banks as software companies. These software companies need a safe and secure back-end rail network for their transactions which these currencies allow, For example;

Ripple is a near instantaneous system that facilitates money transfer (partnered with Santander, the first UK bank to introduce blockchain technology, they are also partnered with 61 Japanese banks)xiv xv. For example; if person A sends person B 10XRP it will arrive in person B’s digital wallet almost instantaneously, or if bank A wants to send bank B $1 million, it will be converted into XRP momentarily and back into $ on the other end. So in this way XRP is used as a medium of settlement. Ripple is also a centralized blockchain who controls most of it’s supply, the first central bank of cryptocurrency.

Stellar Lumens (originally a hard-fork from Ripple) is a similar protocol however it is completely decentralized and a non-profit organization aims to be the backend lightening railway for P2P money transfers, for example facilitating and speeding up Western Union and Moneygram payments, allowing money to ‘move like email’. IBM have partnered with

Stellar Lumens and have just launched their ‘World Wire Payment System’ which aims to "clear and settle cross-border payments" in near real time and could “drastically improve international transactions and advancing financial inclusion in developing nations."xvi Stellar have also partnered with Deloitte, and Stripe (Stripe are partnered with Open Table) digital payments system.

Reflection on the Evolution of Blockchain Technology

To reflect on the evolution of blockchain technology I will paraphrase Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson – the future will be decentralized (or at least it will be a viable option). I believe that decentralization can do good for the world and help to improve people’s lives in less developed societies. I also see the blockchain and smart contracts as a necessary tool in the evolution in the business world.

Unbanked and Undocumented

Currently approximately 4 billion of the world’s population is banked and documented, and the other 3 billion unbanked and undocumented. Take John for example, an Irish male, 30 years of age, university educated, decent work history, owns a modest house and car, has insurance for both, and has access to relatively cheap credit. Then take Ahmed, a 45-year-old Afghani male who has no formal documentation (passport, driving license, or birth certificate) lives in a cash economy, has no verifiable work history, does not own deeds to his land, and the only credit he has access to is from his friends or family. His brother sends him money from India with a 15% remittance cost, and all his assets are also uninsured.xvii

Blockchain and smart contract technology allow Ahmed to build a digital history, register and store documents such as land deeds in the blockchain regardless of third party threats or the country’s government, once information is in the blockchain, it cannot be taken out. Ahmed’s brother in India, can also send send money at a fraction of a cent over the Stellar network for example which can be accessed almost instantaneously and with a tiny remittance fee. Smart contract technology also allows Ahmed access to decentralized microlending and micro-insurance which in-turn offers Ahmed a chance to develop a credit score.

The next problem is that only 51% of the world’s population is online, so how can Ahmed access these services? As any web service can be decentralized just like mining bitcoin, or using Storj to store files, so can ISPs (internet service providers). So, by using old Wi-Fi hardware or an old mobile phone, Ahmed can be a node on a network providing internet to his community.xviii

Business

Not all blockchains are decentralized, and the private sector has begun to adopt this technology. For example, IOTA, a leading organization in the ‘internet of things’ space is a private blockchain based in Germany and provides a platform for the machine economy (currently working with Samsung and Volkswagen). They have also been funded as part of the EU Horizon 2020 ‘Smart City’ initiative which is overseen by the University of Oslo and aims to make selected European cities produce more energy then they use. The Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba is partnered with Waltonchain, an IoT (internet of things) logistics project which facilitates supply-chain management, and VeChain another private blockchain used for supply-chain management is currently partnered with BMW and DB Schenker.

Governments are also starting to use blockchain technologies, for example;

• Chile are using the Ethereum network to track data and finances from the energy grid.xix

• Canada is testing out the Ethereum blockchain for transparency of government grants as a means to fight corruption.xx

• Britain are testing blockchain technology for registering documents in the national archives.xxi

• Australia is using the blockchain to build a social welfare system.xxii

• Estonia is using the blockchain to secure health records. xxiii

Conclusion

Unfortunately, cryptocurrencies make illegal activity a lot easier. Online drug and weapon bazaars continue to crop up since the Silk Road has been shut down. Currencies such as Monero and Dash are almost impossible to trace, and and anyone who knows what they are doing can access these sites on the Dark web. Overall I believe the shift toward blockchain and smart contract technology to be a positive one and a very important development of our time, leading us into web 3.0 and 4.0.

Although still in it’s early stages, this technology has the power to democratize the internet through decentralization and using smart contracts to protect our data, which in-turn redistributes the power that big corporations Facebook, and Google have accumulated over the years through data collection back into the hands of the individual, protecting people from the potential abuse of power like the Cambridge Analytica scandal which came to light earlier this year.

Politically, this technology is also very important, and can aid in the fight against corruption. For example, the use of the Ethereum network to aid the transparency of government grants and the government of Estonia using the blockchain to secure health records are positive steps toward safer governance. As more and more start to utilize this technology, the potential for data collection by big tech companies and governments operating within legal grey areas will be diminished.

Edward Snowden’s 2013 NSA leaks exposed the extent to which governments and third

parties have access to our personal data which was a wake-up call to many. Following these revelations, Austrian native Max Schrems took on Facebook for being in breach of EU law, which led to the collapse of the ‘Safe Harbour’ data agreement between the EU and US which thousands of companies were using to their advantage. This ultimately resulted in the GDPR law implemented in the EU in 2016. Blockchain and smart contract technology will act as a data protection mechanism in the future and disempower data collection companies through encryption of personal data. As demonstrated the same technology can also be used to protect and aid people in less-developed countries providing access to loans and insurance, and provide a safe place to store data which was previously not easily available.xxiv

At the moment, this space is similar to the internet 1994. It’s too early to tell, but big change appears to be on the horizon as individuals, big companies and governments continue to invest in the blockchain.

Bibliography

i ‘What is a Blockchain?’ (2018), Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/blockchain.asp (Accessed: 13 September 2018)

ii ‘Bitcoin Price, a Year In Review’ (2014), Available at: https://www.coindesk.com/bitcoinprice-2014-year-review/ (Accessed: 13 September 2018)

iii ‘Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin’s Enigmatic Creator’ (2018), Available at:

https://www.economist.com/technology-quarterly/2018/09/01/satoshi-nakamoto-bitcoinsenigmatic-creator (Accessed: 13 September 2018)

iv ‘Bitcoin Price Surges Post-Cyprus Bailout’ (2013), Available at:

https://money.cnn.com/2013/03/28/investing/bitcoin-cyprus/index.html (Accessed: 13 September 2018)

v ‘Edward Snowden Timeline’ (2014), Available at:

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/edward-snowden-interview/edward-snowdentimeline-n114871 (Accessed: 13 September 2018)

vi ‘What is Bitcoin?...’ (2018), Available at: 

https://cointelegraph.com/bitcoin-forbeginners/what-is-bitcoin#bitcoin-definition (Accessed: 13 September 2018)

vii ‘How Does Bitcoin Work?’ (2018), Available at:

https://www.investopedia.com/news/how-bitcoin-works/ (Accessed 14 September 2018)

viii ‘Bitcoin Confirmations’ (2018), Available at: http://bitcoins.net/guides/bitcoinconfirmations.asp (Accessed: 13 September 2018)

ix ‘How Does Bitcoin Work?’ (2018), Available at: https://bitcoin.org/en/how-it-works

(Accessed: 14 September 2018)

x ‘He Paid How Much…’ (2014), Available at: https://www.coindesk.com/he-paid-how-muchcoindesk-releases-bitcoin-pizza-day-price-tracker/ (Accessed: 14 September 2018)

xi ‘…Buy Pints Using Bitcoin in Dublin’ (2015), Available at: http://publin.ie/2015/heres-howyou-can-buy-pints-using-bitcoin-in-dublin/ (Accessed: 14 September 2018)

xii ‘Ethereum: The World Computer’ (2015), Available at:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6rYoXJ_3BbPyWx_GQDDRRQ (Accessed: 14 September 2018)

xiii ‘Comprehensive List of Banks Using Blockchain Technology’ (2018), Available at:

https://hackernoon.com/comprehensive-list-of-banks-using-blockchain-technology-97c08fa88385 (Accessed: 14 September 2018)

xiv ‘Ripple Partners with 61 Japanese Banks’ (2018), Available at:

https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/news/ripple-partners-61-japanesebanks-develop-domestic-payments-app/ (Accessed: 14 September 2018)

xv ‘Santander Becomes First UK Bank to Introduce Blockchain Technology…’ (2018), Available at: https://www.santander.com/csgs/Satellite?appID=santander.wc.CFWCSancomQP01&canal=CSCORP&cid=1278712674240&empr=CFWCSancomQP01&leng=pt_PT&pagename=CFWCSancomQP01%2FGSNoticia%2FCFQP01_GSNoticiaDetalleImpresion_PT48 (Accessed: 14

September 2018)

xvi ‘IBM Introduces World Wire Payment System on Stellar Network’ (2018), Available at: 

https://bitcoinmagazine.com/articles/ibm-introduces-world-wire-payment-system-stellarnetwork/

(Accessed: 14 September 2018)

xvii Hoskinson, C, (2014), TedxBermuda, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97ufCT6lQcY

(Accessed: 15 September 2018)

xviii ‘Global Internet Usage’ (2017), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Internet_usage

(Accessed: 15 September 2018)

xix ‘Chile is Using Ethereum’s Blockchain...’ (2018), https://www.coindesk.com/chile-to-useethereums-blockchain-to-track-energy-data/ (Accessed: 15 September 2018)

xx ‘Canada Leverages Etheruem Blockchain…’ (2018), https://www.ethnews.com/canadaleverages-ethereum-blockchain-for-public-transparency-of-government-grant (Accessed: 15 September 2018)

xxi ‘Trustworthy Technology…’ (2018),

https://blog.nationalarchives.gov.uk/blog/trustworthy-technology-future-digital-archives/

(Accessed: 15 September 2018)

xxii Welfare Payments in Australia Could Be Delivered Over The Blockchain’ (2018),

https://www.zdnet.com/article/welfare-payments-in-australia-could-be-delivered-overblockchain/

(Accessed: 15 September 2018)

xxiii ‘Estonia is Using…’ (2016), https://www.businessinsider.com/guardtime-estonian-healthrecords-industrial-blockchain-bitcoin-2016-3?r=UK&IR=T (Accessed: 15 September 2018)

xxiv ‘How Did We Get Here?’ (2018), https://eugdpr.org/the-process/how-did-we-get-here/

(Accessed: 16 September 2018)

[bitcofun]

This is a viewpoint editorial by Peter McCormack, a podcaster and filmmaker, the host of "What Bitcoin Did" and chairman of Real Bedford FC. Over 7 years earlier, Ross Ulbricht was handed a double life sentence plus 40 years, without the possibility of parole. The U.S. federal government desires him to pass away in jail. The validation for such a sentence asks huge concerns of both the morality of the laws he was sentenced under and the judicial structure which enables what is basically a death sentence. The story of Ulbricht, Silk Road, the examination and his resultant sentencing is subjective. To some, it was an adventurous and brave test of libertarianism within a system that is freely antagonistic to such actions. To others, it was the rightful imprisonment of a drug dealership who triggered excruciating damage. In addition, Ulbricht's story consists of allegations of assassination efforts, concerns relating to the constitutional elements of the examination, corruption within the authorities, the emerging requirement to safeguard online personal privacy and, obviously, bitcoin. Most of the dispute around Silk Road has actually appropriately concentrated on whether the net social effects of offering a completely uncontrolled market are favorable or unfavorable. It is the individual story behind the headings that resonates with me, considered that I'm in the very same peer group as Ulbricht, share comparable outlooks and interests and was a periodic user of Silk Road in its early days. That is the prism through which my views have actually been formed. While I have strong viewpoints, I do not feel as though I have an ethically remarkable view. There are lots of individuals who have really unpleasant individual experiences, which suggests they will pertain to various conclusions about Ulbricht than I have. Ulbricht's penalty was related straight to the nonviolent activities related to running Silk Road, particularly: dispersing narcotics, dispersing narcotics by ways of the web, conspiring to disperse narcotics, participating in a continuing criminal business, conspiring to dedicate computer system hacking, conspiring to traffic in incorrect identity files and conspiring to dedicate cash laundering. It is the factor to consider of these act upon which my viewpoints of Ulbricht's case rest. Ulbricht is a young, well-read, articulate guy who has impressive entrepreneurial abilities and who utilized the capability of numerous technical developments to bring something brand-new to the world. The factor to consider by Trump in 2020 to pardon Ulbricht drew specific criticism. Nick Bilton, who composed a book about Ulbricht's case, mentioned in a 2020 Vanity Fair short article, "I discover it wicked that individuals on social networks are so determined that Ulbricht needs to be released since he performed his criminal activities from behind a computer system." Bilton's argument was that there are presently half a million U.S. residents jailed for drug offenses, with various examples of comprehensive life-altering sentences for much lower criminal offenses than those of Ulbricht. This brings into question how unjustly the existing war on drugs targets specific social groups, which is an argument I would with confidence presume most of Ulbricht's backers would concur with. Ulbricht's case is emblematic of the systemic failure of the war on drugs; it is not an outlier whose promotion and story are doubtful due to the fact that of relative advantage. More notably, Ulbricht has actually not seemed dealt with in a different way by the justice system. Yes, his legal group put up a variety of defenses to support his case, as is his. Once the judgment was made, Ulbricht accepted his errors as well as his requirement to be held responsible. At his initial trial in 2015, prior to sentencing, Ulbricht heard the statement from a few of the moms and dads of 6 victims determined to have actually passed away after taking in drugs purchased by means of Silk Road.

After hearing this, Ulbricht specified, "I never ever desired that to take place. I want I might return and persuade myself to take a various course." Prior to sentencing, Ulbricht pled the judge, "I understand you should take away my middle years, however please leave me my old age. Please leave a little light at the end of the tunnel, a reason to remain healthy, a reason to imagine much better days ahead, and a possibility to redeem myself prior to I satisfy my maker." He was 31 at the time. While Ulbricht confessed his regret and responsibility, it is still worth thinking about whether sending out individuals to prison forever for offering access to drugs is an affordable action in a civilized society. Once again, there are several angles to this problem and both sides of the argument have benefit. Substance abuse is a huge social problem with numerous awful victims. It is difficult to preserve a pro-drug position if you have actually experienced the effect on locations like Los Angeles' Skid Row, San Francisco's Tenderloin location or Downtown Eastside in Vancouver. But there is another side to this dispute that does benefit conversation. Basically, should people be prohibited from consuming compounds due to the fact that of the social damage that can be caused? We permit access to alcohol which, when mistreated, is perhaps among the most damaging drugs worldwide. We likewise welcome drugs for an increasing series of medical conditions: Over 20,000 drugs are authorized for prescription in the U.S. and are utilized by 66% of residents, the majority of whom are looking for to lower high blood pressure, ease discomfort or alleviate psychological health concerns. These drugs too can be mistreated and cause prevalent social damage, something I'll discuss later on. To some, the prohibiting of particular classes of drugs for leisure or medical functions is an approximate choice based upon bias, lack of knowledge and mindsets rooted in political and spiritual dogma. Silk Road was very first and primary a platform for those wanting to take drugs recreationally. As I have actually recorded in previous interviews, I utilized Silk Road straight for individual usage. Silk Road allowed me to get simpler access to my drug of option. I abused that chance, and there are various stories of lives messed up by such activity. I likewise benefited from accessing the online neighborhood within Silk Road that offered open conversation online forums asserted on supporting those having a hard time with dependency. That's not to state that the Silk Road was an effort to assist individuals leave drugs, however neither was it a neighborhood aiming to ruthlessly make use of those struggling with dependency with no issue for their wellness. I likewise gained from the procedures Silk Road executed to enhance quality assurance. It is a recognized issue that an underground drug trade helps with unethical habits where dealerships look for to optimize returns by adulterating the item. This leads to disappointments, disease and even death. Such practices are extensive. In 2004, an evaluation of euphoria tablets from drug seizures in the 1990 s discovered that approximately 20% of the tablets consisted of no MDMA, however were rather consisted of caffeine, ephedrine, ketamine, paracetamol or placebo. In 2018, 150 individuals in Illinois provided themselves to healthcare facilities due to the fact that they were bleeding frantically after utilizing artificial cannabis-based items which contained rat toxin. In 2021, 3 comics notoriously passed away in LA after taking drug laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl is showing up in all type of drugs, which is adding to U.S. yearly overdose deaths surpassing 100,000 for the very first time in 2021-- a five-fold boost considering that 2000; that's a single person passing away of an overdose in the U.S. every 5 minutes. A medical toxicologist composing for The Conversation mentioned, "Buying drugs on the street is a video game of Russian live roulette.

From Xanax to drug, drugs or fake tablets acquired in nonmedical settings might include lethal quantities of fentanyl." Fentanyl is " utilized as an adulterant due to the fact that its high effectiveness permits dealerships to traffic smaller sized amounts however preserve the drug impacts purchasers anticipate." Silk Road, through its user-review system that looked for to imitate legal retail websites, gamified the supply of drugs to reward those supplying better-quality items. It was by no implies a warranty of minimum quality nor, clearly, might it be referred to as a security function, however it was mitigation for a problem that is triggering unidentified damage. Teacher C. Michael White of the University of Connecticut studied this activity and reported on it in 2021, pertaining to comparable conclusions to other medical professionals, "The research study is clear: Adding pollutants to, or adulterating, illegal drugs is a longstanding and prevalent practice with hazardous effects ... the distinction in between what you think you are purchasing and what is in fact in the item can be the distinction in between life and death." Then there is the reality the supplier and purchaser are physically separated. While attempting to prevent cliches, those looking for drugs are most likely to be susceptible individuals, while those offering drugs are most likely to be connected with other criminal offenses and have violent propensities. Having drug deals required underground ways that suppliers are required to communicate with purchasers. This opens all manor of threats, straight associated to the interaction and indirectly to the areas where such interactions occur. There are short-term threats related to particular deals and longer-term dangers related to exploitative relationships that can establish. Silk Road broke this link. The Drug Policy Alliance, a New York-based not-for-profit company, mentioned that Silk Road was much safer than the streets for purchasers and sellers. In a 2015 short article, they asserted that Silk Road "provided us a brand-new method to envision much better management of the drug trade ... We require something much better than what we have now, which is absolutely nothing however failure, cartels and beheadings, mass imprisonment, compulsory minimums, a dynamic and throbbing illegal market, and a jail commercial complex absolutely out of control." An essential (albeit possibly little) mate of those who utilized Silk Road did so to access to drugs for medical functions. While Ulbricht was not clearly inspired to satisfy the particular requirements of those stopped working by standard healthcare, this is an essential aspect to represent, and once again, something for which I utilized Silk Road. There are plainly legitimate issues concerning the dangers of individuals self-medicating. There is likewise a vital requirement to appreciate the requirements of those suffering from health problems looking for treatments outside of main medical practices. There are those dealing with the worst difficulties in life, desperate to eliminate persistent discomfort, severe psychological suffering and even individuals dealing with death. If these individuals wish to look for drugs that are not offered to them through main ways, is it best that society rejects them this option? While it holds true that recommended drugs go through rigorous medical trials, there are likewise legitimate issues that other drugs-- which have similarly effective medical, restorative and life-affirming results-- have actually been arbitrarily forbidden. This consists of psychedelics and MDMA, which are revealing pledge in the treatment of anxiety and trauma, and marijuana, which I understand from individual experience that many individuals are desperate to utilize for a series of recognized and effective advantages. The British Medical Journal reported in December in 2015 that epileptic seizure frequency fell by 86% in kids treated with entire plant medical marijuana.

Marijuana items in the U.K. were made legal for clients with "extraordinary medical requirement" in July 2018, according to a 2021 report in The Economist, moms and dads are having a hard time to gain access to prescriptions: "Just 3 kids ... have actually been offered prescriptions by the National Health Service." It is perverse ruthlessness that avoids individuals from getting com monly readily available, however controlled substances that have actually been shown to distinctively decrease suffering." Reasonable individuals might and do disagree about the social energy of severe sentences for the circulation of illegal drugs, and even of criminal restriction of their sale and usage at all. It is really possible that, at some future point, we will concern these policies as terrible errors and embrace less punitive and more reliable approaches of lowering the occurrence and expenses of substance abuse." These were not the words of any libertarian activist looking for to shine a light on Ulbricht's case; these were the words of the appellate court's viewpoint in their decision of Ulbricht's appeal in2017 The court verified the initial sentence offered to Ulbricht in 2015, however as the viewpoint confirms, it is clear that they were unpleasant with needing to use U.S. drug laws. If the legal occupation imposing the laws honestly concerns those extremely laws, undoubtedly we have actually approached a time for some reasoned dispute. Beyond the arguments about access to drugs within society, Ulbricht's case brings into concern the credibility of charges troubled behalf of the state. The sentence bied far to Ulbricht-- imprisoning him for the rest of his life-- is a penalty scheduled for the most abhorrent wrongdoers. Such penalty is unlawful in a variety of nations, consisting of Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Portugal, Croatia and the Vatican City: The Pope explained a life sentence as a covert kind of death sentence. The Penal Reform International specified in a 2018 report, "Life jail time without parole, in specific, raises concerns of vicious, inhuman and degrading penalty, and weakens the right to human self-respect by removing the possibility of rehab." Even amongst those nations that use complete life sentences, there are big variations in the degree to which it is used: In France in 2014, 0.7 per 100,000 occupants were serving life sentences while in the U.S., it was over 50 individuals per 100,000 residents. Then there is the problem of equivalent damage. It is a difficult location to compare various criminal offenses in regards to damage, however in figuring out the sentencing of Ulbricht, as mentioned, the court heard statement from the households of 6 individuals who passed away after taking in drugs purchased from Silk Road. This is a sensible procedure by which to compare the social damage triggered by other criminal offenses. In Between 1999 and 2020, 538,000 Americans passed away throughout the duration described as the opioid crisis. Forbes approximated the financial toll of the opioid epidemic being over $ 1.3 trillion each year The crisis was set off by the aggressive promo of a prescription pain reliever called OxyContin introduced by Purdue Pharma in1996 By 2004, OxyContin had actually ended up being the leading drug of abuse in the U.S. Purdue Pharma was owned by the Sackler household, who had a dominant existence on the business's board. In spite of contesting their liability for several years, in 2020, Purdue Pharma lastly confessed to paying off medical professionals to unnecessarily recommend OxyContin, lying to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and paying prohibited kickbacks for the functions of promoting opioid recommending to doctors. Purdue Pharma strongly marketed OxyContin, while seriously underplaying its addicting nature, its failure to accomplish marketed pain-relief claims and pressing clinicians to administer alarmingly high dosages. The pain reliever has 10 or 20 times the narcotic material of numerous routine pain relievers and is 50% more powerful than morphine.

A Los Angeles Times examination specified, "OxyContin is a chemical cousin of heroin, and when it does not last, clients can experience unbearable signs of withdrawal, consisting of an extreme yearning for the drug." Time and once again, it turned typical Americans into addicts, who then relied on other drugs (such as heroin and artificial fentanyl) when their discomfort relief was excruciating, their prescriptions stopped and/or their dependencies spiraled out of control. Purdue Pharma understood this, and yet they continued to market the drug-- difficult. Purdue Pharma was helped by McKinsey, the management consulting company. According to a claim brought by the Massachusetts Attorney General, McKinsey revealed Purdue Pharma how to "turbocharge" sales of OxyContin, how to counter efforts by drug enforcement representatives to lower opioid usage and became part of a group that took a look at how "to counter the psychological messages from moms with teens that overdosed on the drug." There have actually been many lawsuit over OxyContin, leading to fines, insolvency and the closure of the company. There are legal fights over whether the Sackler household need to be held personally accountable in civil and criminal courts. No one from Purdue Pharma has actually gotten a jail sentence over their participation. In 2020, activists and reporters discovered a 2007 Department of Justice memo that had actually advised felony charges versus senior Purdue Pharma executives on the basis that they began the conspiracy in 1992, learnt about OxyContin's abuse issues within months of its 1996 launch, lied to Congress and were continuing in the conspiracy. The charges might have led to jail sentences. The DoJ chose not to submit such charges at the time, because, as author Gerald Posner mentioned in his book "Pharma," DoJ authorities were worried that "Purdue's big, well-funded legal group may well overwhelm [ the Department of Justice's] little group of district attorneys." And there's the rub. Justice that looks for to represent similar damage is jeopardized by the wealth and power of those being taken to court. This is perhaps why just one individual in the U.S. was imprisoned-- for 2 years 6 months-- as an outcome of the Global Financial Crisis, regardless of the truth that it has actually left long lasting scars throughout the U.S. and the world. A 2018 research study by the Federal Reserve discovered the crisis expense each and every single American roughly $70,000-- and the social effects have actually been more harmful. A U.K. federal government body specified in a 2018 report, "The ramifications of the crisis on hardship, work and political stability are fretting." This is perhaps why no one has actually been held to represent taking the U.S. and U.K. to war with Iraq in 2003 on the basis of a lie, in spite of it leading to roughly 200,000 civilian deaths, 10s of countless military deaths, the displacement of millions, stability problems throughout the Middle East, and as some have actually argued, possibly the Global Financial Crisis itself. This is perhaps why Exxon hasn't been called to account for concealing the truth they understood the science behind environment modification was genuine over 40 years earlier, however rather of raising the alarm, they invested millions promoting false information, while the concern progressively appears like it's leaving control. Justice postponed is justice rejected. With the above cases, it's not clear that justice will ever be served. At the very same time, in a jail in Tucson, Arizona, Ross Ulbricht is being held without even the faint twinkle of hope that he will even be permitted to contest his imprisonment, not to mention protect any kind of liberty. This isn't whataboutism, this isn't an effort to puzzle the problem, to muddy the waters such that Ulbricht is constructed out to be a brave victim. This is simply to reveal that a problematic boy, who looked for to check the limitations

of federal government controls on individual liberties, is being held to the greatest account, while those who look for to utilize their power and impact to cause uncalled-for damage on substantial percentages of society are permitted to stroll easily amongst us. Civilizations throughout time and throughout locations and cultures have actually developed techniques to drugs that are greatly various to the ones federal governments enforce now. The present paradigm is neither supreme nor irreversible. Laws and guidelines are constantly being checked by development and pugnacious people wanting to represent altering mindsets beyond the guardrails of laws. There are dangers and advantages to these techniques, simply as there are dangers and advantages to keeping the status quo. Regardless of the benefits of reappraising the legal technique to drug usage, laws were broken and a judgment was made. The guideline of law needs that all individuals are held liable. As Theodore Roosevelt stated, "No guy is above the law." It was for that reason a sensible expectation that a just penalty would be needed, simply as it is affordable to require that justice be used similarly throughout society regardless of power and impact. It is likewise a commonly held concept that the enforcement of laws must be reasonable. In this regard, it is affordable to state that a life sentence contravenes Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, "No one will undergo abuse or to harsh, inhuman or degrading treatment or penalty." Ross Ulbricht ought to not pass away in jail, particularly when lots of effective wrongdoers live totally free. This is a visitor post by Peter McCormack. Viewpoints revealed are completely their own and do not always show those of BTC Inc. or Bitcoin Magazine. Read More

[madisonmiral]

Andrew shiira arrest

#ANDREW SHIIRA ARREST CODE#

#ANDREW SHIIRA ARREST FREE#

In its complaint against Ross William Ulbricht of Silk Road, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation acknowledged that Tor has "known legitimate uses". It has also been used to brick IoT devices. Tor can be used for anonymous defamation, unauthorized news leaks of sensitive information, copyright infringement, distribution of illegal sexual content, selling controlled substances, weapons, and stolen credit card numbers, money laundering, bank fraud, credit card fraud, identity theft and the exchange of counterfeit currency the black market utilizes the Tor infrastructure, at least in part, in conjunction with Bitcoin. At the same time, GCHQ has been using a tool named "Shadowcat" for "end-to-end encrypted access to VPS over SSH using the Tor network". It has been targeted by the American National Security Agency and the British GCHQ signals intelligence agencies, albeit with marginal success, and more successfully by the British National Crime Agency in its Operation Notarise. Tor has been described by The Economist, in relation to Bitcoin and Silk Road, as being "a dark corner of the web". These can include privacy protection or censorship circumvention, as well as distribution of child abuse content, drug sales, or malware distribution. Tor is not designed to completely erase tracking but instead to reduce the likelihood for sites to trace actions and data back to the user. Tor is not meant to completely solve the issue of anonymity on the web.

#ANDREW SHIIRA ARREST FREE#

State Department, the National Science Foundation, and – through the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which itself partially funded Tor until October 2012 – Radio Free Asia) and seek to subvert it. Tor has, for example, been used by criminal enterprises, hacktivism groups, and law enforcement agencies at cross purposes, sometimes simultaneously likewise, agencies within the U.S. Tor enables its users to surf the Internet, chat and send instant messages anonymously, and is used by a wide variety of people for both licit and illicit purposes. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and International Broadcasting Bureau, Internews, Human Rights Watch, the University of Cambridge, Google, and Netherlands-based Stichting NLnet. The EFF acted as The Tor Project's fiscal sponsor in its early years, and early financial supporters included the U.S. In 2006, Dingledine, Mathewson, and five others founded The Tor Project, a Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) research-education nonprofit organization responsible for maintaining Tor.

#ANDREW SHIIRA ARREST CODE#

In 2004, the Naval Research Laboratory released the code for Tor under a free license, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) began funding Dingledine and Mathewson to continue its development. The first public release occurred a year later. The alpha version of Tor, developed by Syverson and computer scientists Roger Dingledine and Nick Mathewson and then called The Onion Routing project (which was later given the acronym "Tor"), was launched on 20 September 2002. Onion routing is implemented by means of encryption in the application layer of the communication protocol stack, nested like the layers of an onion. Reed and David Goldschlag, to protect American intelligence communications online. The core principle of Tor, onion routing, was developed in the mid-1990s by United States Naval Research Laboratory employees, mathematician Paul Syverson, and computer scientists Michael G.

4.9 Relay early traffic confirmation attack.

4.6 Some protocols exposing IP addresses.

4.2.1 Autonomous system (AS) eavesdropping.

Comparison of Internet Relay Chat clients.

Overlay network, mix network, onion router, Anonymity application To view the current address, phone number, age, and associates of any adult in Honolulu, HI simply click a name listed below.Unix-like, ( Android, Linux, BSD, macOS), Microsoft Windows, IOS. Select a Person in Honolulu, HI to View Detailsīrowse the list of people in Honolulu, HI below.

[ailtrahq]

Ross Ulbricht’s case has garnered significant public attention, and numerous individuals have advocated for clemency for the website’s founder. Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the now-defunct online black market Silk Road, has reached the somber milestone of a decade behind bars. In 2013, US authorities sentenced him to a double life sentence. On October 2, Ulbricht shared on social media his concerns about potentially spending the rest of his life “behind concrete walls and locked doors.” His post expressed a sense of resignation, with a plea for mercy as his only recourse. In his post on Twitter (now X), Ulbricht noted: “One year for each finger on both hands. Today ends a full decade in prison. I sometimes fear I’ll spend the rest of my life behind concrete walls and locked doors. But I have no one else to blame. It’s my poor choices that led me here. All I can do now is pray for mercy”. In 2011, Silk Road was established, with Ross Ulbricht, operating under the pseudonym “Dread Pirate Roberts,” managing it from his personal laptop. This platform was well-known as the pioneer of modern darknet markets and employed a payment system based on Bitcoin (BTC). However, on October 1, 2023, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seized Ulbricht’s laptop. In 2015, Ulbricht faced a federal court trial in the United States on various charges linked to Silk Road’s activities. His sentencing resulted in two life terms, along with an additional forty years, without the possibility of parole. Support Grows for Ulbricht As per the court records in the case, during its operational period, the Silk Road platform conducted sales totaling 9,519,664 Bitcoins (BTC) at the current rate of $28,241 per BTC, spanning from February 2011 to July 2013. The marketplace also collected commissions amounting to 600,000 Bitcoins (BTC), valued at roughly $28,241 per BTC. At the time of the court documents’ publication, this translated to approximately $1.2 billion in sales and commissions amounting to approximately $80 million. Ross Ulbricht’s case has garnered significant public attention, and numerous individuals have advocated for clemency for the website’s founder. A website dedicated to advocating for justice on behalf of Ulbricht reports that more than 250 organizations have endorsed these pleas, and approximately half a million individuals have digitally signed a petition urging Ulbricht’s release. The crypto and Bitcoin communities have also shown substantial support for his cause. Nearly makes me cry to see this post, the punishment didn’t suit the crime and people who have done much worse have had a chance of redemption, #freeross — Soberclown.eth (@bitcoinnz) October 2, 2023 While there is a significant groundswell of support for Ulbricht, and many online users have expressed their belief that the penalties imposed on the Silk Road founder were unfair, there are contrasting perspectives. One X user highlighted that during Ulbricht’s prosecution, the prosecution team suggested that he had purportedly hired individuals to carry out violent acts. Even though formal charges related to this allegation were never filed against Ulbricht, it remains an unproven claim. Thank you! You have successfully joined our subscriber list.