Originally published on: November 10, 2024
During his recent appearance at Near’s Redacted conference in Bangkok, Edward Snowden delved into the importance of decentralization in blockchain technology. The privacy advocate and former NSA contractor raised concerns about the influence of venture capital (VC) on projects like Solana.
Solana, a blockchain network heavily funded by VCs, was a focal point of Snowden’s criticism. He expressed apprehension that excessive financial backing could compromise a network’s autonomy. Despite acknowledging Solana’s growth potential, Snowden cautioned against ceding too much control to investors.
In his address, Snowden spotlighted the necessity of decentralization to combat the surveillance capabilities of AI. He warned of the dangers posed by real-time data analysis on a massive scale, facilitated by AI-driven surveillance.
Snowden’s critique extended to the role of VC firms in blockchain governance. He cited a16z’s vote against a proposal to deploy Uniswap v3 on the BNB Chain as an example of centralization in decentralized projects. This incident underscored the power that large stakeholders can wield, potentially undermining the ethos of decentralization.
Advocating for open-source tools, Snowden emphasized their role in countering centralization and empowering individuals. He described open-source models as empowering users to navigate blockchain technologies effectively. Snowden believes that embracing open-source AI tools can help individuals maintain autonomy in a centralized landscape.
By endorsing open-source technologies and challenging the influence of VCs, Snowden encourages users globally to adopt tools that promote decentralization and autonomy in blockchain networks.
