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>>Ethereum co‑founder condemns the Future of Life Institute's mishandling of a $500 million Shiba Inu donation.

Ethereum co‑founder condemns the Future of Life Institute's mishandling of a $500 million Shiba Inu donation.

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1 day ago

Buterin’s Complaint

Vitalik Buterin says the Future of Life Institute (FLI) mishandled his 2021 $500 million donation. The funds came from SHIB tokens he split between FLI and CryptoRelief. He expected FLI to sell only $10‑25 million due to limited liquidity, yet they liquidated the full amount. He argues the mis‑use threatens “authoritarian” outcomes.

Original Roadmap

When he donated, FLI gave a detailed plan to curb existential risks in AI, biotech and nuclear weapons while fostering peace and better epistemic practices. That plan formed the basis of his support. Internally, however, the institute pivoted toward cultural and political campaigns. The public mission stayed the same, but the strategy shifted away from technical work.

FLI’s Defense and Buterin’s Response

FLI claims accelerating AGI development forces a fast‑track political response to counter big‑AI lobbying. Buterin rejects this, warning that large, coordinated advocacy can backfire, creating fragile or authoritarian results. He stresses that funding scale, not political action per se, is the problem.

Buterin’s Alternative Approach

His own recent $40 million allocation funds open‑source security hardware and pandemic detection tools—projects that rely on technical progress, not lobbying. The contrast highlights a split in the AI‑safety community between research and policy levers. He maintains that massive political spending is hard to control and may be counterproductive.

Ethereum co‑founder condemns the Future of Life Institute's mishandling of a $500 million Shiba Inu donation.

Buterin’s Complaint

Original Roadmap

FLI’s Defense and Buterin’s Response

Buterin’s Alternative Approach

Ethereum co‑founder condemns the Future of Life Institute's mishandling of a $500 million Shiba Inu donation.