Ethereum
Ethereum Creator Vitalik Buterin Says You Shouldn’t Pick Politicians Just Because They’re ‘Pro-Crypto’
Buterin called on users to embrace the underlying goals of cryptocurrencies and not just “see their numbers grow.”
Ethereum creator Vitalik Buterin has called on cryptocurrency advocates to think beyond the pro-crypto campaign slogans peddled by politicians.
In a blog post Titled “Against Choosing Your Political Allegiances Based on Who Is ‘Pro-Crypto,’” Buterin laid out the case for users to view crypto as more than just blockchains and money.
Buterin’s comments come as U.S. candidates are shifting their positions on cryptocurrency ahead of the November election. The likely next president of the United States, Donald Trump, keep bragging pro-cryptocurrency campaign. Trump is not alone, however. Across the aisle, Biden has also inverted position on cryptocurrencies, and his administration has warmed to the industry.
Authorities in other countries must also accept that crypto is a technology, an industry, and a set of underlying values that are here to stay.
According to Buterin, all politicians need to do to secure your support is allow you to trade their tokens.
“I can think of at least a few other technological freedoms that are just as ‘fundamental’ as the freedom to do things with cryptographic tokens,” he wrote, and included freedom and privacy of communication, freedom and privacy-respecting digital identity, freedom and privacy of thought, and high-quality access to information.
Background
Buterin stressed that voters should consider a politician’s track record when it comes to their stance on crypto. He explained that being pro-crypto today might not be pro-crypto five years from now, and urged readers to look at shifts in stances when it comes to supporting freedoms versus supporting businesses.
“This can be a good guide to what kinds of changes in their views might occur in five years,” he wrote.
These words are particularly predictive, given that both Biden and Trump have taken 180-degree turns in recent months, with the former going from staunch opponent to general acceptance, while Trump has become explicitly pro-crypto.
Authoritarians and Crypto
But the developer went further and highlighted the underlying principles that underpin much of our industry.
Of Russian origin, Buterin is not unknown authoritarianism.
He thus shed light on how authoritarian regimes might approach cryptocurrency. He cited Russia as “the best example”: when the government uses cryptocurrency that helps it bypass restrictions in other countries, cryptocurrency is a good thing. But when users use cryptocurrency that makes it harder for the government to restrict or monitor, cryptocurrency is a bad thing.
Buterin concluded with a key question: If a politician is pro-crypto, people should ask themselves: Are they there for the right reasons?