On Thursday, Vitalik Buterin, a Russian-Canadian Ethereum co-founder, slammed Russian President Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine, calling it a “crime against the Ukrainian and Russian peoples.”
Buterin said he was “extremely concerned” by the Kremlin’s decision on Twitter, minutes after Putin said that he had ordered a “special military operation” in eastern Ukraine and various media reports of explosions in cities across the former Soviet republic.
According to an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodimyi Zelensky, up to 40 people have died so far as a result of morning attacks by Russian army and naval forces, which targeted cities including Kiev.
“Putin’s choice to forgo the chance of a diplomatic resolution to the Ukraine conflict and instead go to war has angered me much. This is a crime against the people of Ukraine and Russia “He sent out a tweet.
“Even though I know there will be no protection, I want to wish everyone safety.” Ukraine is to be praised.”
Buterin has been vocal in his opposition to the increase of tensions between Russia and Ukraine, tweeting earlier this month that he hoped the Kremlin would “choose wisely” in its approach to the country.
He wrote on Twitter, “An attack on Ukraine can only harm Russia, Ukraine, and humanity.”
“Zelensky, NATO, and @KremlinRussia will now have to determine whether the situation returns to a peaceful course or whether a war breaks out. I hope they make the best decision possible.”
In the midst of ups and downs, a critical voice
Vitalik Buterin is currently in Argentina. Image via YouTube
The 28-year-old, who co-founded Ethereum in 2014 after getting interested in Bitcoin as a teenager, is one of the few notable corporate leaders to publicly oppose Russia’s invasion of Ukraine thus far.
The price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies plummeted to a one-month low just hours after the Russian invasion began on Thursday.
Bitcoin dropped as much as 7.9% to $34,324 (€30,570), its lowest point since late January.
The complete invasion of Ukraine, widely regarded as Europe’s worst offensive since World War II ended, had an impact on other cryptocurrencies.
According to Coinmarketcap data, more than 150 billion dollars have been taken from the whole cryptocurrency market in the last 24 hours.
Buterin is known for publicly expressing his views. He chastised the Canadian government this week for preventing truckers demonstrating in Ottawa from transferring cryptocurrencies and accessing their bank accounts.
To deal with persistent protests against a government mandate forcing cross-border couriers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has sought emergency powers.
The government was able to use emergency powers to seize demonstrators’ bank accounts and crypto funds, which Buterin described as “hazardous.”
“If truckers are blocking the highways and it’s destroying the economy, that’s OK,” he told Coindesk in an interview over the weekend. “But blocking the roads is unlawful, and there are regulations that forbid that.”