Statist Bitcoiners Agree To Remove "Free Ross" From Platform In Exchange For Ability To Pay Taxes With Bitcoin
The Statist Bitcoiners Coalition (SBC) announced today that they've reached an agreement on the final draft of the group's 2024 platform. The deal removes all language demanding the government free Ross Ulbricht, who is currently serving a life sentence for his role in creating The Silk Road, in exchange for demands that the government allow citizens to pay their taxes using Bitcoin.
Individuals familiar with the SBC platform voting process told The Bugle that a group of Bitcoin business owners belonging to the Coalition of the Compliant were responsible for efforts to remove the "Free Ross" language. "The CoC felt that supporting Ross Ulbricht was too antagonistic. They wanted to make it very clear to politicians and government agencies that they are committed to compliance, cooperation with law enforcement, and supporting the criminal justice system to the maximum possible extent." The individual said.
One member of the CoC told The Bugle, "We understand that using Bitcoin is a privilege and that it comes with certain responsibilities. Statist Bitcoiners are committed to compliant transparent use within the guardrails of the U.S. banking system including the use of custodial solutions whenever possible. Additionally, when custodial solutions aren't possible or when we are fortunate enough to experience capital gains as a result of our Bitcoin use, we are committed to being transparent and voluntarily reporting our activity to the proper U.S. authorities. This is why we want to focus on being able to pay taxes with Bitcoin. The ability to pay taxes with Bitcoin removes the obfuscation and gives the government insight into our entire on-chain history so they can use that data to protect us and protect Democracy"
When pressed about why the SBC couldn't work towards paying taxes with Bitcoin and freeing Ross Ulbricht he responded, "Look, there are certainly some folks who think Ross got a raw deal from the government. That is their prerogative. We encourage those individuals to pursue that goal on their own. We just feel that making sure the government knows our values are aligned gives us the best opportunity to ensure Bitcoin can flourish and support our cherished Democracy."
Statist Bitcoiners who voted against removing the "Free Ross" language told The Bugle they were disappointed with the outcome of the vote but that they had faith politicians would eventually do the right thing and free Ross Ulbricht anyway. "Sometimes living in a Democracy means not getting everything you want." Said one SBC member. Another told The Bugle, "We would like to see Ross freed but we understand that his website enabled people to break the law. We do not promote breaking the law. The government passes laws for a reason and if they pass a law against Bitcoin, we won't be able to use it. So we need to tread carefully."
The Bugle contacted Dennis Porter for comment regarding the situation. We specifically asked for his thoughts in the context of SBC members' concerns that being too antagonistic towards the government could result in losing permission to use Bitcoin. His response, via email, said "This development is concerning but understandable. I am working to make sure the rights of Americans to hold and spend Bitcoin are protected. Ideally there would be a Constitutional Amendment or at least an Executive Order giving all American permission to use Bitcoin. I would like to see Bitcoiners be able to pay taxes as well but in a perfect world you should be able to be compliant, pay your taxes in Bitcoin, AND free Ross Ulbricht."
