Ben Lawsky is having a hard time winning over the bitcoin crowd.

ShapeShift, a Switzerland-based exchange for digital currencies, slammed the outgoing Department of Financial Services superintendent over new regulations for operating a bitcoin exchange in the Empire State.

Lawsky’s BitLicense, which went into effect last month, collects an “Orwellian” amount of information on its users and creates a security risk, according to Erik Voorhees, ShapeShift’s founder and chief executive.

Voorhees, 31, likened Lawsky’s bitcoin crackdown to communist rule in North Korea.

“He’s certainly not as bad as Kim Jong Un,” Voorhees told The Post. “Does he require some of the same spying provision on his citizenry? Absolutely.”

The fierce response from Voorhees is a familiar refrain from bitcoin enthusiasts, many of whom have pushed back against attempts from states and the federal government to impose rules that would collect data on cryptocurrencies.

“We always recognized that there is going to be some part of this community that is against even pretty standard financial regulatory oversight measures, such as anti-money laundering controls and other consumer protections,” said DFS spokesman Matt Anderson. “That said, one digital currency company has already received a license from NYDFS and a number of others have stated they intend to seek BitLicenses shortly.

“Ultimately, we believe that prudent regulation will be important to building greater consumer confidence in digital currency and sparking wider adoption.”

Bitcoin boosters succeeded in softening the DFS’s proposed regulations so that fewer companies, such as software developers, will require a license to operate in the state.

The problem, according to Voorhees, is that the regulations “re-connect” personal information to transactions that would otherwise be anonymous, creating a cybersecurity risk.

While the DFS isn’t likely to budge from its position, Voorhees said, the protest could influence other states to take a more laissez-faire attitude.

“I’m hoping for it to be a conversation,” he said. “I don’t think the Department of Financial Services will listen to our arguments at all.”

Lawsky is planning to step down later this month after four years atop the DFS to start his own consulting firm — including advising companies on bitcoins.