Here’s Why Ethereum’s Buterin Is Getting ‘Canceled’

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has attracted strong backlash within cryptocurrency community with seemingly innocuous take about air quality

Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin has joked about getting “canceled” on social media after speaking out about the importance of cleaning up indoor air.

“Me, early 2024: hmm I haven’t been canceled for a while, maybe I should say something spicy and do another round… Me, Jul 2024: canceled for… trying not to get airborne diseases,” Buterin added.

On Saturday, the Canadian programmer attached a photo of himself wearing a face mask on a plane next to an air quality monitor that shows elevated levels of CO2.

He has clarified that modern planes typically have relatively clear air due to ventilation and filtration, but those mechanisms typically tend to be turned off when the plane is on the ground.

Buterin is concerned about a lot of various viruses that can potentially contaminate the air.

“It’s not the CO2 itself that’s the (main) problem, rather it’s a proxy way to measure that ∼7% the air I would be inhaling is air that has been breathed out by other people. 3000+ ppm means *lots* of various viruses,” Buterin added in a post on the X social media network.

Buterin has long been focused on improving indoor air quality and air hygiene. With that being said, the reaction of the cryptocurrency community, which is teeming with anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists, was expectedly unhinged. Plenty of users half-jokingly stated that they were considering selling their Ether holdings in response to Buterin’s post. Some also resorted to using ad hominem insults.

“The delta between the minds behind crypto and the minds of crypto consumers is pretty awesome to behold,” one social media user noted.

Buterin is no stranger to controversial takes. In 2022, he attracted some backlash after arguing that synthetic wombs could potentially reduce gender inequality.

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