Hacker of Year David Heinemeier Hansson has admitted on his blog that he was wrong about crypto. He has even gone a step further to say that the world needs crypto. This change of tune from the Ruby on Rails creator comes after the hardline response by Canada’s government on protesting truckers.
Hacker Turned World Famous Developer
32-year old Hansson doesn’t need much of an introduction to those in the tech world. He is the developer behind the web development framework, Ruby on Rails. He is also the first recipient of the ‘Hacker of the Year,’ award from Google and O’Reilly in 2005. He is a good example of hackers using their skills to benefit the masses and not for crime.
The Ruby on Rails developer has always been known to be firmly against the use of cryptocurrencies. He describes himself as having been against crypto’s fundamental necessity. He has been skeptical of bitcoin and everything to do with crypto since the 2010s. He is even well known in the crypto universe for his Twitter battles against the HODL army.
Why the change of tune
According to Hansson, his change of heart came after witnessing how the Canadian government handled protesting truckers. Hansson was not amused by the authoritarian way in which the Canadian government responded to the truckers who were protesting against the Covid vaccine mandates.
The Ottawa police department is said to have confiscated donations to a GoFundMe account, raising funds for social justice causes. Following public outcry, the authorities backed down but held the money for up to 10 days before it was refunded. A few days later, the Prime Minister intervened by imposing martial law on the protesters. He also froze the bank accounts of donors and protesters. Tow-truck drivers were then ordered to clear the streets and insurance companies were forced to drop policies held by protesters.
According to Hansson, these events clearly indicate that the authorities can strip away everything, including your fundamental rights at the blink of an eye. He concluded by saying that crypto offers a much-needed alternative. It’s decentralization means that the government will not be able to take away even those fundamental freedoms such as the freedom to transact.
This change of tune has been welcomed in the crypto universe. It is a demonstration of everything that crypto is about. Many proponents of cryptocurrencies have expressed the need for decentralized currencies to have economic freedom. If the truckers and donors in the protest had access to cryptocurrencies, blocking their accounts would not mean a thing. Authorities would no longer be able to coerce those expressing their views into submission.
The current conflict in Ukraine supports this view. The authorities have imposed martial law and limited access to digital cash platforms and foreign currencies. However, Ukrainians are turning to crypto to carry out day-to-day transactions. Crypto offers a way out from under misguided rule.
