Darkness Hates Light
The Nancy Guthrie Ransom and the Hard Truth About Criminals Who Choose a Transparent Ledger
Bitcoin gets blamed every time evil people touch it.
A kidnapping. A ransom demand. A wallet address pasted into a message. Then the headlines arrive, and bitcoin gets called “the currency of criminals” like it is guilty by association.
The bitcoin blockchain is one of the least forgiving places on earth to commit crime. Not because it stops criminals from trying. Because it turns money into a witness.
Here is the simplest truth most people miss: every bitcoin transaction is public. Not public like a rumor. Public like a ledger that never forgets. Every movement of funds is recorded, timestamped, and permanently searchable. Anyone can see it. Forever.
So if criminals publish a bitcoin address and demand payment, they are not hiding. They are choosing a trail that can be followed. That address becomes a beacon.
Now, to be clear: a wallet address is not a name. But it does not need to be. Investigators follow patterns, not personalities. They track where the funds move, how they split, where they consolidate, which services they touch, and what timing and behavior reveals. People leave fingerprints in the way they move money.
And here is where criminals usually lose.
At some point, most criminals want to turn bitcoin into something spendable in the real world. Dollars. Gift cards. Luxury goods. That conversion is the choke point. The moment bitcoin touches a regulated exchange, a broker, a bank, or any service with identity checks, the trail can meet a person. The blockchain stays public, and the offramps increasingly have names and cameras and compliance departments.
This is why “bitcoin is anonymous” is one of the most expensive myths in modern finance.
Bitcoin is not anonymous.
It is pseudonymous and radically transparent.
That transparency cuts both ways. It can be used by anyone, including criminals, but it is far better as a tool for accountability than a tool for concealment. The same features that make bitcoin strong money also make it poor criminal money: a fixed supply, a public ledger, irreversible settlement, and a trail that can be watched in real time.
So when a tragedy happens and bitcoin is involved, we should grieve first. Pray first. Stand with the victims first.
And then we should tell the truth. Bitcoin is not the darkness. It is light.
Scripture says, “There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.” - Luke 8:17, NIV
That is a Kingdom principle and it is a blockchain principle. Darkness wants hidden rooms. Bitcoin is a glass house.
Evil loves systems that can be edited, reversed, erased, and denied. Bitcoin’s ledger does not negotiate with narratives. It records what happened.
And in moments like this, that matters.
Prayer 🙏🕊️🔥
Dear Heavenly Father,
We grieve what is evil and violent and unjust. We ask You to protect the innocent, comfort the afflicted, and bring swift justice where harm has been done. We pray for the Guthrie family. Expose what is hidden. Strengthen those working to rescue, investigate, and restore. Let truth run faster than fear. Let light overtake darkness.
Give us wisdom to speak clearly, compassion to respond rightly, and courage to stand for what is true.
In Jesus’ name, Amen. ✝️🙏🔥