Criminal use of Bitcoin

Bring up Bitcoin anywhere and someone says it's mainly a tool for criminals.

But every Bitcoin transaction lands on a permanent public ledger anyone can examine, forever, which is an odd design for something meant to hide money. Cash disappears the moment it changes hands and leaves nothing to trace. US Treasury assessments still name cash, not crypto, as the dominant vehicle for laundering, and researchers tracking blockchain activity keep finding illicit use is only a fraction of total volume.

Why is this argument so sticky, despite the lack of merit?