Today, it’s easier than ever for governments to control the population by denying us access to our own money. How did we get here?

As Canada shows, living in a mature democracy is no protection against deeply illiberal financial censorship, and the introduction of fully digitized currencies is a weapon too tempting for even the most liberal elected governments to ignore.

No matter what political lens you put on it, financial censorship is where governments cross the Rubicon and start pursuing naked authoritarianism.

To be safe from seizure or censorship, you must hold your own private keys–in other words, the password to your bitcoin. When you have it, you alone have control over your money. When you entrust your keys to a third party you surrender that control.

The amount of bitcoin held on exchanges and custodians increases every year. Coinbase alone holds ~13% of the total Bitcoin supply estimated to be accessible today.

Do not wait until the day when someone you disagree with might obtain the power to eradicate your financial freedom. Take advantage of the privilege to be your own bank by holding your own Bitcoin keys.

If we do not fight for our right to financial liberty, then we shouldn’t be surprised if it is snatched away without our consent.