歐盟的加密貨幣打擊引發隱私擔憂：禁止匿名帳戶

歐盟已實施禁止匿名加密​​貨幣帳戶的法規，以打擊洗錢和恐怖主義融資。這項決定源自於人們擔心匿名帳戶會促進無法追蹤的交易，進而為金融體系帶來風險。該法律主要針對增強隱私的加密貨幣和旨在隱藏交易的匿名帳戶，例如門羅幣。然而，這些帳戶提供的匿名保護引起了人們對隱私權和審查潛力的擔憂，引發了圍繞財務安全和個人自由之間平衡的批評和辯論。

EU Restricts Anonymous Crypto Transactions, Raising Concerns about Privacy and Regulatory Overreach

歐盟限制匿名加密貨幣交易，引發對隱私和監管越權的擔憂

In a sweeping move aimed at combating money laundering and terrorist financing, the European Union (EU) has enacted legislation outlawing anonymous crypto accounts and privacy-enhancing cryptocurrencies. This landmark decision has sent shockwaves through the cryptocurrency community, sparking heated debates about the balance between financial security and individual privacy.

為了打擊洗錢和恐怖主義融資，歐盟 (EU) 頒布了立法，禁止匿名加密​​帳戶和增強隱私的加密貨幣。這項具有里程碑意義的決定在加密貨幣社群中引起了震動，引發了關於金融安全和個人隱私之間平衡的激烈爭論。

The Rationale: Combating Financial Crime

理由：打擊金融犯罪

The European Parliament (EP) maintains that anonymous crypto accounts pose a significant risk to the stability of the financial system. By allowing transactions to occur without identifying the parties involved, such accounts facilitate illicit activities, including money laundering and terrorist financing. Service providers managing these accounts, the EP argues, are unable to adequately assess the risks associated with their clients' transactions.

歐洲議會（EP）認為，匿名加密帳戶對金融體系的穩定性構成重大風險。透過允許在不識別相關方身分的情況下進行交易，此類帳戶為非法活動提供了便利，包括洗錢和恐怖主義融資。歐洲議會認為，管理這些帳戶的服務提供者無法充分評估與其客戶交易相關的風險。

"Providers of crypto services and crowdfunding platforms are exposed to the misuse of new channels for the movement of illicit money and are well placed to detect such movements and mitigate risks," reads a 329-page document issued by the EP. "The scope of Union legislation should therefore be expanded to cover these entities."

歐洲議會發布的一份長達329 頁的文件中寫道：「加密貨幣服務和眾籌平台的提供者面臨著濫用新管道進行非法資金流動的風險，並且能夠很好地檢測此類流動並降低風險。” “因此，歐盟立法的範圍應擴大到涵蓋這些實體。”

The EP's concerns extend to privacy-enhancing cryptocurrencies and anonymous crypto accounts that allow users to conceal their transactions. Specifically targeted are privacy coins like Monero and zCash, as well as assets anonymized through cryptocurrency mixers. These measures, the EP contends, undermine the effectiveness of anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) regulations.

歐洲議會的擔憂還涉及增強隱私的加密貨幣和允許用戶隱藏其交易的匿名加密帳戶。具體目標是 Monero 和 zCash 等隱私幣，以及透過加密貨幣混合器匿名的資產。歐洲議會認為，這些措施削弱了反洗錢（AML）和反恐融資（CFT）法規的有效性。

How Privacy Coins Operate

隱私幣如何運作

Monero, a decade-old cryptocurrency ecosystem, stands as the most prominent example of anonymous crypto accounts. With a market capitalization of around $2.5 billion, Monero employs a ring signature system to anonymize the value and sender of transactions. This system relies on mixing multiple users' public keys to obfuscate the true origin of the funds.

門羅幣是一個已有十年歷史的加密貨幣生態系統，是匿名加密帳戶最突出的例子。 Monero 的市值約為 25 億美元，它採用環簽名系統來匿名化交易的價值和發送者。該系統依靠混合多個用戶的公鑰來混淆資金的真實來源。

Monero also utilizes stealth addresses, a unique tool that assigns an automatically generated, one-time address for each incoming transaction. This feature further complicates the identification of the recipient and the transaction itself.

門羅幣還利用隱形地址，這是一種獨特的工具，可為每筆傳入交易分配自動生成的一次性地址。此功能使接收者的識別和交易本身更加複雜。

Criticisms and Concerns

批評和擔憂

The EU's decision has faced significant backlash from privacy advocates and cryptocurrency enthusiasts. Critics argue that the law infringes upon individuals' fundamental right to privacy and undermines the decentralized, censorship-resistant nature of cryptocurrencies.

歐盟的決定遭到了隱私倡導者和加密貨幣愛好者的強烈反對。批評者認為，該法律侵犯了個人的基本隱私權，並破壞了加密貨幣的去中心化、抗審查性質。

Patrick Breyer, a member of the EP, condemned the law, expressing that "people have the right to make online payments and donations without their personal transactions being recorded." He further questioned the EU's ability to regulate a global phenomenon like cryptocurrency on a regional level.

歐洲議會議員帕特里克·布雷耶譴責了這項法律，表示「人們有權在不記錄個人交易的情況下進行線上支付和捐款」。他進一步質疑歐盟在區域層級監管加密貨幣等全球現象的能力。

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has also raised concerns about the law's compatibility with the EU's commitment to human dignity and privacy. The EDPS emphasizes that privacy is both an individual right and a social value, encompassing the right to conduct private transactions.

歐洲資料保護監管機構 (EDPS) 也對該法律與歐盟對人類尊嚴和隱私的承諾的兼容性表示擔憂。 EDP​​ 強調隱私既是個人權利，也是社會價值，包括進行私人交易的權利。

Contradictions and Exemptions

矛盾與豁免

Despite its stringent stance on anonymous crypto accounts, the EU's new law contains notable exceptions. Unhosted wallet providers, who do not control their users' cryptocurrency wallets, are exempt from the ban. Similarly, hardware and software providers are not subject to these restrictions.

儘管歐盟對匿名加密帳戶採取了嚴格的立場，但歐盟的新法律仍包含明顯的例外情況。不控制用戶的加密貨幣錢包的非託管錢包提供者不受該禁令的約束。同樣，硬體和軟體供應商也不受這些限制。

Additionally, the EP document acknowledges the role of civil society organizations in humanitarian and developmental efforts. It cautions financial institutions against using AML/CFT regulations to "justify commercial decisions" related to their clients' activities.

此外，歐洲議會文件承認民間社會組織在人道主義和發展努力中的作用。它警告金融機構不要利用反洗錢/打擊資助恐怖主義法規來「證明與其客戶活動相關的商業決策的合理性」。

Anonymous vs. Pseudonymous Accounts

匿名帳戶與假名帳戶

It is crucial to distinguish between anonymous and pseudonymous crypto accounts. Traditional bank accounts are neither anonymous nor pseudonymous, as the bank holds the account holder's personal information. Pseudonymous crypto accounts, on the other hand, use alphanumeric addresses that allow for the tracking of transactions. However, these addresses do not directly reveal the user's real-world identity.

區分匿名和假名加密帳戶至關重要。傳統的銀行帳戶既不是匿名的，也不是假名的，因為銀行持有帳戶持有人的個人資料。另一方面，假名加密帳戶使用字母數字位址來追蹤交易。然而，這些地址並不能直接揭示使用者的真實身份。

Benefits and Drawbacks of Anonymous Transactions

匿名交易的優點和缺點

Anonymous crypto accounts offer a range of benefits to users, including enhanced privacy, protection from censorship, and the ability to evade excessive taxation. Many individuals and entities seek anonymity to safeguard their financial interests and personal data.

匿名加密帳戶為用戶提供了一系列好處，包括增強隱私、免受審查以及逃避過度徵稅的能力。許多個人和實體尋求匿名以保護其經濟利益和個人資料。

However, anonymous crypto accounts also present potential risks, including the facilitation of illegal activities such as money laundering. They can also be more time-consuming and expensive to process than traditional transactions. Additionally, many exchanges impose limits on the amount of funds that can be held in anonymous crypto accounts without verifying the user's identity.

然而，匿名加密帳戶也存在潛在風險，包括為洗錢等非法活動提供便利。與傳統交易相比，它們的處理起來也更耗時、更昂貴。此外，許多交易所在不驗證用戶身份的情況下對匿名加密帳戶中可以持有的資金金額施加限制。

Difficulties in Enforcement

執行困難

Implementing the EU's new law poses significant practical challenges. Users can create multiple wallets to obscure their activities, making it harder for authorities to trace transactions. Moreover, the law only applies within the EU, and many individuals can easily relocate outside the jurisdiction to avoid compliance.

實施歐盟新法律帶來了重大的實際挑戰。用戶可以創建多個錢包來掩蓋他們的活動，使當局更難追蹤交易。此外，該法律僅適用於歐盟境內，許多人可以輕鬆移居到司法管轄區之外以避免遵守規定。

Patrick Hansen, an industry expert, believes that the new law primarily reiterates existing AML regulations and does not impose substantial restrictions on self-custody wallets, payments, or peer-to-peer transfers. He predicts that the law will have a limited impact on the crypto market within the EU.

產業專家派崔克漢森認為，新法主要重申了現有的反洗錢規定，並沒有對自我託管錢包、支付或點對點轉帳施加實質限制。他預計該法對歐盟內部加密貨幣市場的影響有限。

Conclusion

結論

The EU's ban on anonymous crypto accounts and privacy coins marks a significant shift in the regulatory landscape for cryptocurrencies. While the law aims to combat illicit activities and protect the financial system, it raises concerns about privacy, individual autonomy, and the effectiveness of regional regulations in a globalized digital economy. The implementation of the law faces challenges, and its long-term effects remain to be seen. However, it is clear that the debate over the balance between financial security and personal privacy will continue to shape the development of cryptocurrency regulations worldwide.

歐盟對匿名加密帳戶和隱私幣的禁令標誌著加密貨幣監管格局的重大轉變。雖然該法律旨在打擊非法活動並保護金融體系，但它引起了人們對全球化數位經濟中的隱私、個人自治以及區域監管有效性的擔憂。該法的實施面臨挑戰，其長期效果有待觀察。然而，很明顯，關於金融安全和個人隱私之間平衡的爭論將繼續影響全球加密貨幣監管的發展。