"Take the Drugs, But Don't Take the People's Bitcoins"
Paul and I have been talking for a few months about the challenges posed by virtual currencies like bitcoin. My Security States post today examines the latest developments in the battle between individuals, who flock to bitcoin because of its relative anonymity; and governments, which must regulate financial institutions, prevent crime, and so forth.
Published by The Lawfare Institute
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Paul and I have been talking for a few months about the challenges posed by virtual currencies like bitcoin. My Security States post today examines the latest developments in the battle between individuals, who flock to bitcoin because of its relative anonymity; and governments, which must regulate financial institutions, prevent crime, and so forth.
The piece, entitled "Take The Drugs, But Don't Take The People's Bitcoins," opens:
The latest Edward Snowden leak and the FBI’s shut-down last week of an online drug market might not seem connected. But they actually have an important common thread: an unregulated virtual currency called bitcoin. Snowden’s latest bombshell, published by the Washington Post, shares details of NSA’s infiltration of Tor, an Internet browser that cloaks its users in anonymity. Meanwhile, the FBI shuttered the black market online drug seller Silk Road and arrested its founder, Ross Ulbricht, for narcotics trafficking, computer hacking conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy. What do these stories have to do with each other, and what do either have to do with bitcoin?
Raffaela Wakeman is a Senior Director at In-Q-Tel. She started her career at the Brookings Institution, where she spent five years conducting research on national security, election reform, and Congress. During this time she was also the Associate Editor of Lawfare. From there, Raffaela practiced law at the U.S. Department of Defense for four years, advising her clients on privacy and surveillance law, cybersecurity, and foreign liaison relationships. She departed DoD in 2019 to join the Majority Staff of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, where she oversaw the Intelligence Community’s science and technology portfolios, cybersecurity, and surveillance activities. She left HPSCI in May 2021 to join IQT.
Raffaela received her BS and MS in Political Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2009 and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 2015, where she was recognized for her commitment to public service with the Joyce Chiang Memorial Award. While at the Department of Defense, she was the inaugural recipient of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence’s General Counsel Award for exhibiting the highest standards of leadership, professional conduct, and integrity.
