sutton038

(Please note that I originally wrote this essay for E-International Relations , and I have republished it here on a Creative Commons licence. If you wish to republish this piece, please respect E-IR's republishing guidelines ) In Kim Stanley Robinson’s epic 1993 sci-fi novel Red Mars , a pioneering group of scientists establish a colony on Mars. Some imagine it as a chance for a new life, run on entirely different principles from the chaotic Earth. Over time, though, the illusion is shattered as multinational corporations operating under the banner of governments move in, viewing Mars as nothing but an extension to business-as-usual. It is a story that undoubtedly resonates with some members of the Bitcoin community. The vision of a free-floating digital cryptocurrency economy, divorced from the politics of colossal banks and aggressive governments, is under threat. Take, for example, the purists at Dark Wallet , accusing the Bitcoin Foundation of selling out to the regulators and ...