At a recent blockchain conference in Bangkok, privacy advocate Edward Snowden urged the IT community to prioritize decentralization, particularly in the blockchain and artificial intelligence industries. Snowden criticized the significant effect that venture capital (VC) investments have on blockchain initiatives, claiming that this level of control contradicts the technology’s fundamental principles. Using Solana as an example, he stated that heavy VC funding jeopardizes the network’s ability to remain independent, comparing it to being “born in prison.”
Snowden remarked that, while Solana has grown rapidly, its strong financial backing from investors may limit its ability to operate as a fully decentralized system. He accepted that the initiative could still grow into something important but warned that without decentralization, investor influence could eclipse its progress.
AI surveillance highlights the necessity for decentralization. Snowden addressed the growing concern over AI-driven surveillance, highlighting its unprecedented use in human monitoring, in addition to blockchain. He emphasized that governments and corporations are rapidly utilizing AI to collect, analyze, and act on massive amounts of personal data in real time. According to Snowden, this advancement enables surveillance systems to look for “anomalies” in people’s behavior, potentially leading to invasive monitoring and targeting.
Snowden cautioned that combining AI and surveillance technologies raises substantial privacy concerns and exacerbates the power imbalance between citizens and institutions. He claimed that decentralization is an important defense against such surveillance, allowing individuals to reject centralized data management by businesses and governments.
The effect of VC influence on decentralized projectsSnowden’s remarks expanded on broader concerns about VC control in ostensibly autonomous networks. He cited prior cases, such as a vote involving the venture company Andreessen Horowitz, which leveraged its considerable token holdings to influence governance choices at Uniswap. Such activities, Snowden contended, illustrate the power that large stakeholders can wield over initiatives, calling into doubt the decentralized character of these platforms.
Snowden believes that blockchain and open-source technologies have the potential to empower individuals, but only if they stick to decentralization ideals. He advised the technology sector to reject centralized control and instead embrace tools that promote transparency and independence.
Snowden’s message emphasizes these problems, serving as a reminder of the ethical considerations that should guide the creation of new technology. His advocacy for decentralized systems resonates powerfully with individuals in the blockchain sector who favor privacy and freedom. He challenges developers and investors to maintain a balanced approach that defends these values in an increasingly controlled environment.
