Topics like this are a good example of why you should never trust HN's advice on crypto.

Bitcoin is up, considerably, in the last ±6 months. Centralized exchanges like FTX or Binance have always been more convenient than logical, and the effect of their "collapse" on the market as a whole will not last beyond the media's attention span.

P.S., it's not just used for illegal activities, but is in fact a vital part of remittences abroad in places without stable currencies.