CORE MAGAZINE March 2018 | Page 10

SPECIAL ARTICLES Bitcoin Q&A: Criminalization of ownership? (with Andreas Antonopoulos) S omebody asks, ‘What are your thoughts on the U.S. Senate Bill S.1241 to criminalize concealed ownership of Bitcoin?” Andreas: I have read the language of the bill. First of all, in order for this to become law, it has to be considered by the Senate and then the House. And, reconciled in Committee if there’s two different versions. Then, it has to be voted on by both House 10 Core Magazine and Senate. Then it has to be signed by the President. Or, included in another bill. Then, it has to translate into regulatory rules for agencies. Then, the government and the regulatory agencies get sued. And, the courts get to interpret the latitude that this bill has to actually criminalize this behavior. There’s a very long road and a lot of things can change. So, over the years, we’ve seen many people freak out about proposed