|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Cryptocurrency News Articles
Edward Snowden Criticizes Solana (SOL) Architecture, Raises Concerns About Its Centralized Nature
Oct 03, 2024 at 11:30 am
Edward Snowden, the renowned whistleblower and privacy advocate, made sharp comments about Solana (SOL) during the TOKEN2049 conference in Singapore
Edward Snowden, renowned whistleblower and privacy advocate, recently shared his thoughts on Solana (SOL) during the TOKEN2049 conference in Singapore.
Snowden's comments came during a Q&A session following his speech, titled "The Next Threat to Speech." In response to a question about designing technology from first principles to ensure safety, Snowden drew comparisons between Bitcoin's adversarial design and what he sees as Solana's more centralized and vulnerable architecture.
"When you look back at the Bitcoin whitepaper, I think what you see is an adversarial approach to the system. And that is what you really have to consider," Snowden said.
Without directly mentioning SOL at first, he quickly shifted to critique the network, stating, "I don't want to name names, but Solana is taking good ideas and they're just going, well, what if we just centralized everything? It'll be faster, it'll be more efficient, it'll be cheaper, and yeah, sure, it is, you're right, but nobody's using it but for meme coins and scams."
Snowden went on to explain his deeper concern, highlighting that Solana's centralization could make it susceptible to government control or other forms of external intervention.
"If anybody puts anything significant on it and then all the states begin moving towards it, it's going to be a system that has levers that people can simply just take from you," Snowden warned, signaling a potential risk for significant censorship or seizures in the future.
His central argument was the necessity for adversarial thinking in the design of decentralized systems, especially given the increasing attention crypto platforms are receiving from governments and regulators worldwide.
"You have to be thinking about the adversarial case as opposed to the convenient, easy early case. That means thinking about how it's going to be attacked and making sure it can survive that," he said.
Solana Community Reacts
Snowden's remarks didn't go unnoticed, with key figures in the SOL ecosystem quickly responding.
Mert Mumtaz, the co-founder and CEO of Helius Labs, a Solana-based project, took to X to defend the network, challenging Snowden's claims.
"Snowden seems to think Solana is centralized — while giving zero data to back it up," Mumtaz wrote.
He called for critics to provide concrete evidence of any vulnerability in Solana that would allow a single entity to control the network or compromise user funds.
"I challenge anyone to show me the precise attack vector that would let a single entity exercise a loss of funds, or prolonged power over the network," Mumtaz continued, further emphasizing the geographic distribution of Solana's nodes and the diversity of jurisdictions they operate within.
He acknowledged that while Bitcoin and Ethereum are more decentralized, this does not inherently mean that Solana is vulnerable to the kind of centralized control Snowden alluded to.
"Here's what you may say instead: Ethereum and Bitcoin are more decentralized than Solana — this is correct. Usain Bolt is faster than Lebron James in a 100m dash, that does not mean Lebron is slow. The only possible single point of failure would be: a single client," Mumtaz wrote.
He highlighted recent developments in Solana's client diversity, pointing out the deployment of "frankendancer" on the mainnet, as well as the upcoming "Firedancer" client, which further decentralizes the network.
He concluded his rebuttal by stating, "If the network is so centralized, it's worth tens of billions—go attack it if you can!"
At press time, SOL was trading at $143.
Disclaimer:info@kdj.com
The information provided is not trading advice. kdj.com does not assume any responsibility for any investments made based on the information provided in this article. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile and it is highly recommended that you invest with caution after thorough research!
If you believe that the content used on this website infringes your copyright, please contact us immediately (info@kdj.com) and we will delete it promptly.
-
- Artemis Coin: A Revolutionary Presale Crypto Project Poised to Reshape Decentralized Finance
- Oct 03, 2024 at 04:25 pm
- In the dynamic realm of cryptocurrencies, a new contender has emerged, captivating investors and enthusiasts alike with its groundbreaking vision and innovative approach. Artemis Coin, a cutting-edge digital asset, has taken the crypto world by storm, positioning itself as a promising presale crypto project with the potential to reshape the landscape of decentralized finance.
-
- Swyftx Analysts Dive into Recent Crypto Market Movements, Reveal the Factors Driving the Pump in the Memecoin Sector and Other Top-Gainers This Week
- Oct 03, 2024 at 04:25 pm
- Swyftx’s analysts have dove into recent movements in the crypto market, revealing the factors driving the recent pump in the memecoin sector and other
-
- Check your change! Rare 20p coin from 2008 sells for £780 on eBay - 390 times its face value
- Oct 03, 2024 at 04:25 pm
- We are all being encouraged to check our change after a rare 20p coin sold for 390 times its face value this week. The 20p piece is a “mule” coin dating from 2008 and was minted without a date on the coin due to an error.