Unchained
Unchained
Laura Shin
Bits + Bips: Is Crypto Privateering Even Legal?
14 minutes Posted Aug 19, 2026 at 7:45 pm.
Paul Rosenzweig's claim: privateering violates international law on piracy
Chris on why no better solution exists: cost, talent, and scale
Erica Lonergan and Michael Garcia: the slippery slope and attribution risk
Does this go beyond crypto? The pig butchering scam question
Jake Williams: are American privateers non-uniformed combatants?
Isn't privateering a congressional power, not a presidential one?
Why Austin says critics need to propose a better solution first
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Show notes
๐Ÿ“ข Bits + Bips has its own channel now โ€” full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@Bitsandbips 
Austin Campbell runs through the strongest legal objections to Trumpโ€™s privateering memo, from claims it violates international law on piracy to warnings that private hackers could be treated as non-uniformed combatants.
The segment ends with a pointed question: if privateering is where critics draw the line, why did nobody blink at Iraq, Afghanistan, or Iran?
Hosts:
Austin Campbell - Host of Bits + Bips, Founder of Zero Knowledge Group, and Adjunct Professor at NYU Stern - https://x.com/austincampbell
Chris Perkins - Co-host of Bits + Bips and Head of Franklin Crypto - https://x.com/perkinscr97
This clip is from a longer conversation on Trump's executive order deputizing private firms to hack foreign cybercriminals. Full episode here: https://youtu.be/FxQCMAJ9GBU?si=tVqmGwizLzv2BAk6 
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