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A comment on DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware extortionists Darkside. Parent comment

Re:DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware... by shiftpgdn on Monday June 07, 2021 @07:16PM (#27428586)
The US Judicial system which tries to flex its "unlimited" reach.
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Re:DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware... by kolinko on Monday June 07, 2021 @08:28PM (#27429183)
„ If sanctioned the US government could almost certainly 51% attack any given crypto and redirect funds to whoever they want”

51% attacks don’t allow for withdrawing funds from an account - only for rolling back recent transactions

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Re:DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware... by dannyw on Tuesday June 08, 2021 @08:22AM (#27434170)
Most mining takes place in China, so no, they can't do anything.
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Re:DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware... by edgyquant on Monday June 07, 2021 @08:20PM (#27429109)
I don’t think it’s an understatement to say that their reach kind of is. If sanctioned the US government could almost certainly 51% attack any given crypto and redirect funds to whoever they want. This isn’t what happened but it’s laughable to think the US government isn’t capable of tracking down the account and seizing coins.
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Re:DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware... by tracedddd on Monday June 07, 2021 @09:07PM (#27429468)
I doubt they could 51% Bitcoin with any sort of haste. Perhaps with a few year plan. Simply put it’s a procurement issue. There are limited ASICS and they are distributed among many operators, mostly foreign. There aren’t massive ASIC stockpiles in the US just waiting to be purchased. A government 51% attack would probably involve doing a private chip run.
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Re:DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware... by dragonwriter on Monday June 07, 2021 @10:46PM (#27430106)
> I doubt they could 51% Bitcoin with any sort of haste.

From when they planned for the capacity, probably not. But how do we, at any time, know that hasn’t happened in the past?

> A government 51% attack would probably involve doing a private chip run.

Sure, and when that classified capacity is acquired via, say, the NSA’s black budget, we’ll all know before (or, heck, even after, until they decide to something disruptive with it) they decide to light up the capacity...how?

OTOH, any attack won’t just be to redirect funds, because that can’t be done without broader disruption that would make it pointless for that purpose.

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Re:DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware... by fomine3 on Monday June 07, 2021 @10:36PM (#27430051)
Also even if 51% attack is succeeded, then BTC price would crash so victim can't collect original $.
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Re:DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware... by paulpauper on Monday June 07, 2021 @09:22PM (#27429575)
then the hackers would just send a little bit at a time in case it gets intercepted
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Re:DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware... by edgyquant on Monday June 07, 2021 @11:05PM (#27430198)
It was just an example. If the US government is dead set on hurting you they can and will; that’s my point.
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Re:DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware... by qeternity on Monday June 07, 2021 @07:20PM (#27428614)
Do we have reason to believe they don’t have that capability? There are very few who have escaped the long arm of the DOJ.
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Re:DOJ seizes $2.3M in cryptocurrency paid to the ransomware... by russian-hacker on Monday June 07, 2021 @09:10PM (#27429489)
That you know of.
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