I never knew it could be so interesting to be an anthropologist!

And I love how the article gives the Chinese words for all the terms involved. It feeds my fascination for everything that is Language.

> The Chinese word tongdao, which we chose to translate as ‘gateway’, parallels the English word ‘channel’—a linguistic coincidence that shows the intermediary nature of these businesses, which act as a channel for the circulation of both information and money.

Exposition like this is so rare. I cannot upvote this article enough.

Here in Brazil, I've seen some people starting to suspect on web influencers for money laundering. Pick your niece/nephew, start a social media account, buy followers/likes then start laundering the money on fake ads and partnerships.

So that's what keeps USDT going.

Along with Chinese organized crime, these marketplaces and brokers are protected and linked to Cambodia's ruling family [0] who themselves are ethnic Teochow/Nanyang.

[0] - https://www.wired.com/story/pig-butchering-scam-crypto-huion...

Hit piece on Telegram?

[flagged]

The imaginary crime of money laundering. If the underlying activity is a crime, we already have laws to deal with that. Why is any attempt at financial privacy deemed money laundering? Why does making any tool that help law abiding citizens have financial privacy, also guilty of money laundering?

Of course, now that most people have bought into money laundering, the goal posts are now getting moved that any attempt at privacy can be considered illegal.

You use or provide a messaging service that has unbreakable privacy - we'll make this a crime too!

Why should it be illegal to use a crypto tumbler/mixer service?

Oh because some people use it for crimes.

Then arrest the CEOs of gun companies, because guns can be used to commit crimes!