By Bitcoin Часопіс - 7 месяцы таму - Час чытання: 8 хвіліны
Барацьба з карупцыяй: ці ёсць Bitcoin Выправіць Заходнюю Афрыку?
Ўвядзенне.
The most recent coup in Niger brings to a head a lot of the challenges that have been happening in west Africa, in Francophone Africa in particular. The French and US involvement in this region was purportedly to help economic development and fight corruption within Western Africa. As the Niger Coup edges towards a hot war, in the West we should consider what our role is in the region and whether we are justified in getting involved militarily. Could Bitcoin do what decades of American and French involvement have failed to do?
Many point to France’s involvement in the CFA (African Financial Community) as a method of controlling their former colonies through their control of the exchange rate. They have been able to devalue the CFA franc against the French Franc, or now the Euro, in a way to increase their purchasing power for raw materials from Africa and then selling back finished goods at an elevated price. This has meant the purchasing power of some of the poorest countries in the world is being diluted by France using monetary policy.
Многія мяркуюць, што гэта так
Валютныя вайны
,en Central African Republic was the second country in the world to accept Bitcoin as legal tender. A year later the nation backtracked for a number of reasons including lack of internet access in the country.
The Central African Franc has been a dominant currency since the end of French colonial rule and replaces an earlier French colonial currency, known as the Franc of the French Colonies (F.CFA for short). Some have argued that this currency has facilitated better trade between West African countries, oferring increased stability compared to other African currencies. At the same time, many of these countries have not progressed past being just exporters of raw materials. Being dependent on exporting raw materials has also meant they are particularly subject to the effects of price shocks and what's going on in other parts of the global economy, i.e. an oil exporting country loses export income when the price of oil decreases.
Observers have increasingly looked at the CFA Franc as a mechanism for wealth transfer from these impoverished African nations to France. Even the prime minister of Italy has suggested that France's exploitation of raw materials from these countries has been a driver of economic migrants making dangerous trips to Europe for a better life.
Any attempts to move to something like Bitcoin has been tamped down, even as adoption has increased in many African Nations in general.
Fighting Corruption with Bitcoin
Іх было шмат Bitcoin heists over the years. There have been high profile embezzlement of Cryptocurrency, like the Mt Gox Hack або FTX Embezzlement Scandal. These problems grab headlines and create a lot of mystery around what happened with these situations. The nature of decentralized networks like Bitcoin has made it more challenging to offer safeguards similar to traditional finance. Bitcoin notoriously got its start with Silk Road, an online marketplace on the Dark Web where people could buy anything they wanted. Transactions usually occurred using Bitcoin and people could buy innocuous items like on ebay all the way to drugs and other illegal items.
A lot of fear has been incited around the use of Bitcoin because of that. But the outcome of the Silk Road raids should give us insight into how Bitcoin is not worse, but probably better than the current financial system when it comes to investigation of its use in crime. The IRS and other law enforcement agencies have used the public nature of Bitcoin’s blockchain to their benefit. The blockchain records the movement of Bitcoin from wallet to wallet. While all the wallet addresses are anonymous, once a wallet address can be tied to an individual, it’s very easy to search the ledger for every transaction linked to that address.
Гэта такая ж старая, як час, гісторыя пра тое, што палітыкі прысвойваюць грошы з дзяржаўнай казны, каб узбагаціцца. Многія ўрады ўвялі меры абароны, каб пераканацца, што гэтага не адбылося, але вельмі часта ў Афрыцы гэтых гарантый альбо няма, альбо ёсць простыя спосабы іх абыйсці. Затым многія палітыкі пераводзяць сродкі, прызначаныя на такія рэчы, як дарогі, электрычнасць і чыстую ваду, і накіроўваюць іх на сакрэтныя банкаўскія рахункі ў афшоры. Гэта часта робіцца ў меншых колькасцях за раз, каб пазбегнуць падазрэнняў.
There are other solutions that have been developed over the years, like Multi-Sig which requires the approval of multiple users to sign off on the use of funds. This could allow Comptrollers and Public oversight boards to be directly notified before any funds are being spent.
Bitcoin could be a major weapon against corruption. If a country uses Bitcoin as their official currency for public finances, there’s a public ledger tracking the spending from the official government Wallet. This ledger is accessible to the Press, political opposition, and to every interested citizen for that matter. This can allow real time tracking of embezzlement and corruption within Governments.
Bitcoin could Also be a double edged sword. We've seen in the US that once a person is tied to a wallet, law enforcement are able to track the amount that's in the wallet as well as the transactions using the public ledger.
Unscrupulous public officials could use this knowledge of their citizens Bitcoin Balance to target individuals or groups for bribery or extortion.
Справядлівы свабодны гандаль
One of the challenges that has faced many post colonial nations, but West Africa in particular, has been a failure to capitalize on their natural resources. West Africa has gold, oil, diamonds, and uranium among other resources, but haven't been able to translate this into long-term sustainable growth. Some of this is domestic problems with corruption that hamper development. Heavy regulations make it difficult to conduct business due to licensing requirements;these requirements are often a thinly veiled attempt at securing bribes.
But this isn't the only mechanism at work here. One major problem within West Africa in particular has been the French imposition of the CFA Franc. The French have been regularly devaluing this currency so they have a trade advantage. As the CFA franc is devalued against the euro, the same amount of euros can purchase more African goods. When these nations look to buy finished goods from France, the longer they hold on to their CFA francs, the less they can buy from France as the currency loses value against the euro.
На працягу многіх дзесяцігоддзяў пасля здабыцця незалежнасці гэтыя краіны павінны былі захоўваць свае грашовыя рэзервы ў Цэнтральным банку Францыі. Гэта было дабром для Францыі, але карысць для гэтых краін была нязначнай. Хоць для гэтага могуць быць некаторыя прычыны, у тым ліку паскарэнне міжнародных урэгуляванняў і барацьба з карупцыяй, па большай частцы гэта была страта ўлады ў прыняцці рашэнняў або развіцці мясцовай банкаўскай інфраструктуры. Гэта таксама азначала, што французскі цэнтральны банк змог спаганяць з гэтых краін камісію за транзакцыі, што яшчэ больш прывяло да страты багацця.
Bitcoin fixes this. Independent of Central Banks, Bitcoin allows international transactions easily without an intermediary. With relatively low transaction costs as well, this would allow West African nations to engage in commerce with any country in the world without having to go through the intermediary of the French.
Краіны Заходняй Афрыкі змогуць купляць машыны, а таксама гатовую прамысловую прадукцыю з іншых краін напрамую без неабходнасці праходзіць праз некалькі валютных біржаў. Гэта таксама магло б палегчыць прывоз часткова гатовай прадукцыі або іншых прадметаў, якія дазволілі б ім будаваць уласную мясцовую інфраструктуру і прамысловасць. Гэта можа быць патрыманае або новае горназдабыўное абсталяванне, абсталяванне для перапрацоўкі нафты, лесапільныя заводы для нарыхтоўкі і апрацоўкі драўніны, машыны для вырабу шкла і г. д. Гэта становіцца значна танней, не здымаючы вялікага працэнта з верхняй часткі кожнай транзакцыі.
Банкаўская справа для тых, хто не карыстаецца банкам
One great advantage for individuals is that Bitcoin is open to anyone. Many people within Africa and the developing world tend to have challenges with banking that we often don't think about in the first world.
The first is access to identification. When you bring your kid down to the local bank to open their first savings account they will ask you to show their social security card and birth certificate in the US. Many people and the developing world don't have either. They are often born at home with a local midwife and it can be expensive or not worthwhile to register the birth with local officials. This means that millions around the world don't have access to banking as we know it.
Многія ў Афрыцы ўжо змаглі ў пэўнай ступені прыняць удзел у банкаўскай дзейнасці праз свае мабільныя тэлефоны. Па ўсёй Афрыцы назіраецца шырокае распаўсюджванне і прыняцце смартфонаў і раскладных тэлефонаў. Каб купіць дадзеныя або хвіліны, людзі будуць купляць SIM-карты за наяўныя і ўстаўляць новую SIM-карту ў свой тэлефон. Многія людзі будуць купляць новую SIM-карту кожны тыдзень. Гэта вельмі адрозніваецца ад многіх месцаў на захадзе, дзе мы правяраем рэпутацыю і аплачваем рахунак у канцы месяца.
Мабільныя тэлефоны далі
people limited access to Mobile payments, but it's still somewhat limited and is generally in local currency with high transaction costs. Bitcoin allows people to use their money on their terms.
This has been more significant in times of chaos. As some nations have faced sanctions, individuals can use Bitcoin as a way to sidestep sanctions. Banks are often uncomfortable transferring funds to and from uncertain areas. Bitcoin has and could continue to give people access to goods and machines they need for their business to grow.
Challenges with Bitcoin
У той час як Bitcoin would work great as a drop-in replacement to bad currencies, that doesn't mean this is a perfect solution.
While there are some solutions to using bitcoin without access to the internet, most Bitcoin transactions require access to the blockchain and the internet to verify the transaction. This won't always be the case, and many bitcoin users and advocates have been working on systems which will allow people to use Bitcoin without having direct access to the internet.
Volatility within bitcoin is also something that makes it challenging to use day-to-day as a currency. The wild price fluctuations might make it better as a method of international settlement, but might make it difficult for day to day use.
Another not very pretty element to currency markets is that Bitcoin doesn't have an army or global bureaucracy. This is something that many people like about Bitcoin, but conflict with international organizations and nations like the International Monetary Fund, France, and the US have bristled at the idea of having a new global currency that isn't directly controlled by them.
Таксама могуць быць лепшыя альтэрнатывы для краін Заходняй Афрыкі. Ім можа быць лепш выкарыстоўваць кошык тавараў у якасці гарантыі іх валюты. У многіх краінах Заходняй Афрыкі дастаткова золата, каб яны маглі выпускаць банкноты, забяспечаныя золатам, у тым ліку тую, якая выкарыстоўвае блокчейн для праверкі дэпазіту золата і адсочвання яго перадачы. Некаторыя эканамісты прапанавалі выкарыстоўваць некалькі тавараў, каб пазбегнуць валацільнасць аднаго тавару, якая ўплывае на кошт валюты. Гэтыя валюты, заснаваныя на сыравінных таварах, могуць быць больш цэняцца на міжнародным узроўні з дапамогай блокчейна, які надае гэтым валютам больш даверу.
The Central African Republic has been trying to issue their own Cryptocurrency, and an effort a few years ago to involve all of West Africa, including French speaking West Africa and English Speaking Nigeria, has fizzled out as people viewed it as slowly became co-opted by France. Could Bitcoin succeed where those efforts failed?
This is a guest post by Phil Vecchio. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Часопіс.
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