HRF Executive: Bitcoin is Bad for Dictators
01 Jul, 2025 ● Crypto people
At the Bitcoin Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., Human Rights Foundation chief strategy officer Alex Gladstein emphasized to a room full of U.S. policymakers that Bitcoin continues to demonstrate its strength as a tool against authoritarian regimes by offering an alternative to fiat currencies, which can be easily manipulated and controlled.
“With Bitcoin, the ability of these leaders to do these things is completely decimated,” he said, later adding, “Bitcoin is bad for dictators.” Gladstein explained that when used properly—without linking an ID—Bitcoin makes it more difficult for governments to track individuals.
He stressed that self-custody is key, stating, “If you’re self-custoding your Bitcoin, governments can’t delete or freeze your stuff, and they certainly can’t hyperinflate you.”
He recalled that many people in authoritarian countries have been “saved or rescued” by Bitcoin, a technology the Human Rights Foundation began exploring during Ukraine’s 2013 protests against then-President Viktor Yanukovych.
At the time, Bitcoin was worth around $100, and protesters faced frozen bank accounts while trying to support democratic efforts that later became known as the Maidan Square movement.
Despite skepticism, the foundation saw Bitcoin succeed where traditional financial systems failed, as Gladstein noted, “It got the value to them where traditional money couldn’t go.”
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