Lede
Everyone wants freedom until it stops being profitable.
Blockchain, but still in chains.
What does not make sense
- “Decentralised” coins depend on centralised exchanges run by a handful of billionaires.
- Governments call Bitcoin dangerous but print money like it’s Monopoly night.
- The people shouting “free world” still refresh their Binance app more than they vote.
- Every crypto crash “teaches a lesson,” yet no one ever graduates.
Sense check / The numbers
- 0.3% of Bitcoin wallets hold over 80% of supply [Glassnode]. That’s not freedom, that’s feudalism with better graphics.
- Over $20 billion lost to scams and hacks since 2021 [Chainalysis]. Decentralisation doesn’t protect fools; it just decentralises blame.
- Fiat inflation in the UK peaked at 11.1% in 2022 [ONS]. Yes, governments mess up too. But at least you can complain to someone. Try emailing “the blockchain.”
- Crypto energy use rivals Argentina [Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance]. Saving the world shouldn’t cook it first.
- Video source claims governments use money control to shape freedom [YouTube: “Governments and Centralised Control of Money”]. Believable, but missing one line: “Sponsored by Fear and Affiliate Links.”
The sketch
Panel 1: A protester waves a flag: “Free the Money!” Behind him, a crypto exchange logo flickers.
Panel 2: He checks his phone. “Withdrawal suspended for maintenance.”
Panel 3: Government official smirks: “Told you we both like control.”
What to watch, not the show
- The real power fight: who issues trust, not tokens.
- Tech billionaires replacing bankers, not abolishing them.
- “Freedom” as a marketing slogan for speculative gambling.
- The quiet race by central banks to digitise control faster than you can say “wallet.”
The Hermit take
Freedom isn’t a blockchain; it’s accountability.
Both sides want your belief more than your coins.
Keep or toss
Keep: The ideal of financial autonomy.
Toss: The myth that code alone frees people.
Sources
Glassnode – Bitcoin wealth concentration: https://glassnode.com
Chainalysis – Crypto crime report: https://blog.chainalysis.com
ONS – UK inflation data 2022: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices
Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance – Bitcoin electricity consumption: https://ccaf.io/cbeci
