The Anonymity Challenge of Bitcoin: Ownership and Recovery Issues

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This chapter delves into Bitcoin's complex relationship with anonymity and security, highlighting the difficulties in reclaiming stolen Bitcoins due to the absence of identifying features. It examines how blockchain transparency aids in tracking transactions but falls short in identifying actual owners, complicating the retrieval of lost funds.

Nathaniel Popper of the New York Times and the author of Digital Gold talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about Bitcoin. Can Bitcoin make it? What went wrong with Mt. Gox? Why did Ross Ulbricht, the creator of Silk Road, just get sentenced to life in prison? Why are venture capital firms pouring millions of dollars into companies promising easier ways to use Bitcoin? Popper discusses these questions along with the technical side of Bitcoin to help listeners understand why so many investors are excited about the potential of Bitcoin.