Post
Topic
Board Bitcoin Discussion
Re: Why so many Bitcoin users have fear of governments?
by
anisuzzaman99apu
on 16/05/2018, 12:39:59 UTC
In What Do We Trust?

Fiat is a term used to describe the conventional currencies that are issued by governments. Fiat  currencies have value because governments say that they do. To an increasing number of people, that promise means nothing. After all, fiat currencies are not backed by any tangible assets. You can’t return the currency to the government in exchange for a bar of gold or silver, a can of beans, a pack of cigarettes, or any other items that might have value to you. Fiat currencies are backed by the full faith and credit of the government that issued them and nothing more. If you want gold, silver, beans, or smokes you need to exchange your fiat currency with a person or entity that possesses the item that you want.

Why Control Matters

Governments control fiat currencies. They use central banks to issue or destroy money out of thin air, using what is known as monetary policy to exert economic influence. They also dictate how fiat currencies can be transferred, enabling them to track currency movement, dictate who profits from that movement, collect taxes on it, and trace criminal activity. All of this control is lost when non-government bodies create their own currencies.