But I also understand why figures like Selkis are championing crypto into a political cause. Actually, they are simply noticing that crypto already was a partisan issue and acting in accordance. It’s common to hear that because blockchains strive to be “credibly neutral” that the industry itself is apolitical, but that simply isn’t true. Crypto is a check on the government; it is and always has been a political project. As I wrote in 2021:
“If Bitcoin solved the climate crisis, it would be through successful, freer markets – not progressive planning. If Bitcoin expands access to basic financial services, it could never solve economic inequality – you cannot redistribute early Bitcoiners’ massive holdings without destroying the system’s technologically protected property rights. If Bitcoin prevents war by diminishing the power of the state, it will also dismantle the progressive welfare state.”