Former federal prosecutor Kathryn Haun spoke about the non-criminal nature of Bitcoin and the use of Blockchain of criminal investigations during an interview with Quartz[1] published today, April 12.
During the interview, Haun, who worked on well-known crypto cases like that of US federal agents’ involvement in fraud and extortion[2] during the Silk Road[3] investigation, argued that Bitcoin is not itself criminal, as well as explained the importance of her use of Blockchain records for catching criminals. Haun currently teaches a class on cryptocurrency and cybercrime at Stanford University and serves on the board at crypto wallet and exchange service Coinbase[4].
During her time in government, Haun led a task force that prosecuted cases involving criminal uses of cryptocurrency. During the interview with Quartz, she made the distinction that the investigations did not take place just because cryptocurrency was used:
“I quickly learned prosecuting the technology of bitcoin wasn’t possible, number one; nor was it desirable, number two [...] The task force I was leading was focused on some of the worst criminal use cases involving cryptocurrency. I want to stress it wasn’t because cryptocurrency was used; it was because crimes were committed. It wasn’t about the medium of transaction.”
During the 2013 Senate hearing[5] about Bitcoin, Haun also stresses that others in the government also saw cryptocurrencies as not necessarily illegal entities:
“[...] the Senate held a hearing, the first hearing it held on Bitcoin. Three government witnesses testified there. All three emphasized the point that there is absolutely nothing illegal about bitcoin or the technology itself.”
Haun then turns to the role Blockchain in her work convicting the two federal agents, Carl Force and Shaun Bridges, for stealing Bitcoin while investigating
