Miami Bitcoin Conference Day 1: Crime, Krugman, and BitLicenses

The temperate winter climate of Miami, Florida is serving as a pleasing backdrop for the numerous attendees of the North American Bitcoin Conference.

The symposium, being held at the Miami Beach Convention Center this weekend, brought a huge crowd. Many of the talks were held with all seats full.

In the afternoon, the second hall, used in the morning for merchant vendor workshops, was used as an additional seating area with the speakers being broadcasted on a large video screen.

Here are some highlights from Day One of the conference.

Cash Used More Than BTC for Crime

They say that crime doesn’t pay. It probably doesn’t in the long-term. But criminals still use monetary instruments in order to break laws.

And despite the media exposure bitcoin has received regarding scams, thefts and the sale of illicit goods, most crooks still use cash.

David Aylor is a South Carolina attorney who is involved with what is likely the first case where the federal government has seized bitcoin.

His presentation ’Bitcoin, Dirtier than Real Money?’ made the argument that there’s plenty of good to be had with cryptocurrencies, and that it is going to attract bad actors just like any other technology would.

Craigslist was an example that Aylor used as a tool that can be used for good as well as bad. Bitcoin can be used the same way and the media’s portrayal of BTC is one of the reasons that some people “think bitcoin is evil”, he said.

source

coindesk