Juraj Bednar: Using Bitcoin Is like a Filter for People with an Open Mind

Juraj Bednar is an entrepreneur, hacker and co-founder of Paralelná Polis Bratislava and Prague’s Paralelní Polis. It hosts a hackerspace called Institute of Cryptoanarchy and a cafeteria with best coffee in Prague and accepting only cryptocurrencies. His favourite cryptocurrency is bitcoin, he also uses monero as a medium of exchange. In his talk “Financial surveillance and crypto utopias” at the #HCPP19 Hackers Congress Juraj presented his research on how banks are enforcing KYC, anti-money laundering regulations while at the same time do not care about it, if they want you as a customer. He also shows us hacks to regain financial privacy with cryptocurrency.

We talk about:

Opposing totalitarian regime and communism
Concept of Paraleni Polis
How to survive in a society that is not free and the development of parallel society
KYC, anti-money laundering, tax evasion
Banks are over-regulating, but they do not need to, if they want you as a customer
Need to have a bank account
Security theatre
Hacks for better financial privacy
Why bitcoin is his favourite cryptocurrency