As the bitcoin network grows, so grows its chain -- currently 300+ GB and counting.

Most people can’t afford the computing power it takes to download a chain that large, to run a full node. So they're forced to trust a third party -- typically their wallet provider.

Your wallet provider is your gateway to the bitcoin network. They control the decision to send your transactions on to the network. They also control the balance you see in your wallet.

"But if my wallet provider censors me, I can always use another wallet."

Of course. As long as:

* Your funds aren't stored in a custodial wallet
* You have the technical expertise to know you need to import your private key into another wallet
* Your private keys were stored properly to begin with
* You know where your private keys are stored
* You have access to the location your private keys are stored in
* You know how to import them into a new wallet without exposing them along the way

To summarize - you might be technically savvy enough to know how to handle this situation, but many bitcoin holders aren’t.

The less savvy you are, the more you must trust your wallet provider's good intentions.

Why would a wallet provider censor you to begin with?

As bitcoin accrues value and gains adoption, the stakes for bad actors inevitably grows higher:

* What happens when your wallet provider’s underpaid employee gets bribed by a malicious actor?
* What if a hacker gains access to your wallet provider's backend?
* What happens when your wallet provider gets legally coerced via court order?

These scenarios may seem unlikely, but the more traction and value bitcoin gains, the more motivation bad actors will have.