Tell HN: Real World Usage of Bitcoin
- by girls in Afghanistan: https://www.reuters.com/article/crypto-currency-afghanistan/feature-salaries-to-remittances-afghans-embrace-crypto-amid-financial-chaos-idUSL8N2QU39A
- by Russian political opposition: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-politics-navalny-crypto-curren/bitcoin-donations-surge-to-jailed-kremlin-critic-navalnys-cause-data-idUSKBN2AB2GR
- Nigerians without access to foreign exchange: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/jul/31/out-of-control-and-rising-why-bitcoin-has-nigerias-government-in-a-panic
- Chinese capital flight: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/21/china-users-move-50-billion-of-cryptocurrency-out-of-country-hinting-at-capital-flight.html
- truckers in Canada: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/culture/how-bitcoin-fueled-canada-trucker-convoy
It seems Bitcoin is indeed used to subvert Governments. However, it also seems the case that "subverting governments" is not always a bad thing. When people with monopoly on violence resort to bad laws and regulations, having a tool like Bitcoin to go around those goons is actually a good thing!
[1] found in this excellent article: https://www.swanbitcoin.com/a-look-at-the-lightning-network