A couple of years ago I wrote a tweet thread about how I'd begun to see people in the crypto and finreg spaces expressing excitement about the traceability of cryptocurrencies.
Thinking back to it as I watch Senators and crypto industry executives talk about how delightfully traceable public blockchains are. No pesky warrant required!
![Molly White
@molly0xFFF
1:33 PM · Feb 14, 2023
the past ~month or so i've suddenly started seeing a bunch of people in crypto and in the financial regulatory/enforcement world who are unironically excited about crypto because of the financial surveillance it could empower, and that scares the shit out of me
the other day i was listening to a conversation about how "algorithms" could detect criminal activity occurring on public ledgers in real time to automatically alert law enforcement, or be programmed into the money itself to stop transactions.
[Screenshot of a text message: "or I'm going to move to a cabin in the woods with a faraday cage built around it"]
anyone know any good welders?
i run into people somewhat regularly who think that because i don't like crypto, i support unfettered government/LEO surveillance of personal finances.
like, no, that's part of WHY i don't like crypto](https://storage.mollywhite.net/micro/b023de32a956269bfb2b_Screenshot-2025-07-10-at-11.41.47---AM.png)
every time we get a spate of hot weather i remember i'm a discworld troll whose brain slows to a crawl above 70˚ or so
today's utterly unsurprising news
It is well known that a vital ingredient of success is not knowing that what you’re attempting can’t be done.
So many good books this month, with Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Talents and Martha Wells’ Artificial Condition leading the pack for fiction.
@molly0xfff June reading wrap-up, reviewing the 14 books I read this month (no spoilers) #readingwrapup #junereadingwrapup #booktok #bookrecommendations #parableofthetalents #murderbot #spaceopera #litrpg #newtanddemon ♬ original sound - Molly White
NYC, 1919: Perched on a towering pile of donated books, a librarian calls from a megaphone to request more book donations for American troops stationed in France. The American Library Association’s campaign sent up to 55,000 books each month to military camp libraries.
(via Library of Congress)
Lawsuits like this one are not something to celebrate just because you hate Fox News.
I'm not normally one to agree with Fox, but they're right in their statement that suits like this are "designed to chill free speech critical of [Newsom]."
Federal Housing Finance Agency Director William Pulte: “After significant studying, and in keeping with President Trump’s vision to make the United States the crypto capital of the world, today I ordered the Great Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to prepare their businesses to count cryptocurrency as an asset for a mortgage”
Notably, at this point they are merely directed to “prepare a proposal for consideration”.
this polymarket market tells a story
