I first registered on a crypto exchange back in September 2017, specifically a Romanian one, whose CEO ended up in jail soon after I started using it. Fortunately, I had no funds on the exchange when it shut down. Of course, before all of that, I had to go through the damn KYC process and provide all my personal details.

Then, I moved on to American exchanges and settled for Poloniex, not out of any personal preference, but because the person who introduced me to crypto recommended it.

Over the course of six years in the crypto space, I've lost count of how many times I've had to undergo KYC procedures for various centralized exchanges (CEXs). Most of these platforms are based in the US, and I rarely resort to decentralized exchanges (DEXs) due to the exorbitant fees associated with using ETH for swapping coins.

All CEXs these days require their customers to jump through the hoops of rigorous KYC, all in the name of fighting terrorism and money laundering. But let's face it, is this really making any difference?

The truth is, most criminals involved in money laundering or funding terrorism have ties with the establishment, and KYC/AML measures are just a facade to make us feel safer. Movies like Sound of Freedom expose the dark world of human trafficking, and surprisingly, crypto isn't playing a significant role in this criminal underworld.

So why do we have to put up with the invasive KYC/AML requirements? It's simply because the "big brother" wants to have complete control over us – to tax us, track us, and even restrict our entry into the crypto space. Ever since 9/11, we've all become suspects of terrorism, and these surveillance measures have been imposed on us.

The argument for protecting investors is also a load of crap. If I can freely go to a casino, throw all my money into slot machines, and even sell my house to fund my gambling, why am I restricted from "betting it on crypto"? It's essentially the same, and let's face it, most of the crypto projects out there are just a gamble.

We've seen countless examples of people getting denied crypto transactions or even having their bank accounts closed for trying to buy or sell crypto. It's ridiculous how celebrities like Nigel Ferguson also face such issues, and no one comes to their rescue. The truth is, it's partly our fault for complying with these crooked financial regulators instead of finding ways to bypass their control.

I know of someone from Romania who tried to buy crypto a few years ago using a certain bank's bank account and was denied the transaction, and then he got a call from the bank telling him that if he tries again he will have his account suspended.

Then we have Nigel Ferguson and many other renowned individuals who saw their bank accounts closed for almost no reason, and no one protects them from such abuses. It's our fault for that happening. We should not have asked for so many approvals from crooked financial regulators and hustled more towards circumventing these scums.

KYC is not meant for our protection; it's solely for the benefit of "them," the establishment and their interests.

Thanks for your attention, Adrian