"But no one should send money to Gab, which is at this point effectively being run by the FBI, according to Torba’s own statements.

Think about it: he’s saying “I’ll give the FBI anything they ask for,” so obviously the FBI is going to say “okay, just give us everything.”

But I digress (I’m just looking for any excuse to call out Gab on this shit they are doing, where they say “we love the First Amendment, come here and say whatever you want so we can tell the feds about it.”)"

The only way to track bitcoin from end to end is to track the transaction amount. If there was a single purchase funding multiple end "consumers", it can't be tracked because the amounts are different.

This whole "rioters paid in bitcoin" bullshit is a complete fabrication to get people to 1. believe that someone tried to overthrow the government as a plan and 2. convince people that bitcoin is a tool of terrorists. And the Fed would love people to believe that because it's the only currency with value that they cannot control, touch, or do anything about. People trading in bitcoin get out of the downward death spiral of fiat currency and fractional reserve banking. They can't have the common people doing that because it completely destroys their hold on people. This was actually the literal reason bitcoin was invented.

So when they say "We tracked the bitcoin payments," they are lying to you.