I recently came across a story that made me laugh out loud— a lawyer went to the bank to withdraw 40,000 yuan in cash, and the teller kept asking about the purpose. When he refused to explain, the bank called the police. After half an hour of fuss, they found out they couldn’t contact the police at all, and the bank then changed its tune and said he could proceed. If you ask me, this is simply two words to describe it: absurd.

On the surface, it looks like an upgrade in anti-fraud measures. But in reality? The privacy rights and financial autonomy of users are being crushed. The central bank requires registration for amounts over 50,000 yuan, yet some banks add their own rules—reportting even 10,000 yuan withdrawals. Even more ironic, there are no standard options in the system; users can just make up a reason and get through—what exactly are they trying to prevent?

This story becomes interesting when viewed in the crypto space. Why are we so obsessed with self-custody wallets? Because private keys are sovereignty. In blockchain networks, asset movement is entirely driven by code rules, transactions are fully transparent and traceable, but users don’t need to report to any centralized authority. Your money is yours—how you transfer it is up to you, and no one can freeze or hassle you with a mere "anti-fraud" claim.

Compare these two experiences: traditional banks operate on manual review, with vague standards, arbitrary enforcement, and room for power rent-seeking; decentralized networks operate on transparent rules, with all operations executed according to predetermined code, treating every address fairly. One relies on institutional trust, the other on mathematics and cryptography.

Of course, this doesn’t mean banks don’t need to prevent scams, but their anti-fraud measures shouldn’t be based on infringing on normal users’ rights. True financial freedom means having complete control over your assets—that’s exactly what crypto assets promise.