Bill Gates thinks cryptocurrencies used for buying drugs

Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and founder of Microsoft stated on Reddit cryptocurrencies are “a rare technology that has caused deaths in a fairly direct way” during an “Ask Me Anything” session.

Gates wrote:

“The main feature of crypto currencies is their anonymity. I don’t think this is a good thing. The Government’s ability to find money laundering and tax evasion and terrorist funding is a good thing. Right now crypto currencies are used for buying fentanyl and other drugs so it is a rare technology that has caused deaths in a fairly direct way. I think the speculative wave around ICOs and crypto currencies is super risky for those who go long.”

Bill Gates’s remarks resulted in harsh criticism from Redditors participating in the discussion.
His statement might have some deeper agenda behind it. For somebody some technology savvy it’s hard to believe that this is his genuine opinion.
Bill’s thoughts about Bitcoin were slightly different in the past. Here is an interview with Bloomberg from 2014 where he stated:

“Bitcoin is better than currency in that you don’t have to be physically in the same place and, of course, for large transactions, currency can get pretty inconvenient.”