- Ethereum’s Buterin warns against blindly supporting “pro-crypto” politicians.
- He urges scrutiny of broader policies aligning with crypto values.
- Buterin suggests examining candidates’ past crypto stances to gauge sincerity.
Crypto’s conscience speaks up
Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum’s co-founder, has sounded the alarm on blindly supporting “pro-crypto” political candidates.
In a thought-provoking blog post, Buterin urges voters to look beyond surface-level crypto endorsements and scrutinize candidates’ broader policies.
He emphasizes the importance of aligning with cryptocurrency’s core values, such as internationalism and privacy protection.
Silicon Valley’s Trump card
Buterin’s warning comes on the heels of high-profile endorsements for former President Donald Trump from tech heavyweights Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz.

The timing is particularly poignant given Trump’s recent 180-degree turn on crypto, now accepting Bitcoin donations after previously dismissing cryptocurrencies entirely.
Crypto flip-flops and red flags
The Ethereum co-founder suggests a litmus test for political sincerity: examining a candidate’s crypto stance from five years ago.

This approach, Buterin argues, could reveal potential future policy reversals. He also cautions against politicians who might exploit crypto support for personal gain or to consolidate power, citing examples of authoritarian leaders who have done just that.