Opinion by: Marcos Viriato, co-founder and CEO of Parfin
Blockchain was born to decentralize power and create systems that operate on transparency, not control. Yet today, the technology is being adopted by the institutions it sought to disrupt.
Governments and corporations are integrating blockchain into their existing frameworks. This turns a tool built for autonomy into one that reinforces oversight.
This shift reveals a deeper tension. Ideologies have become involved. From political donations to manifesto pledges, blockchain has become a political instrument. The result is a shift in how power, trust and governance interact in the digital age.
If we want innovation to thrive, institutions must lead by example. They must build systems that are apolitical, compliant and interoperable. They must establish an infrastructure grounded in trust. Political narratives will always shift. Financial infrastructure must not.
Innovation at the crossroads of politics
Innovation begins with builders and entrepreneurs, but once it starts to reshape the economy, politics inevitably follow. Beyond driving change, emerging technologies are becoming a part of the political narrative.
In the UK, Reform’s “crypto renaissance” pledge turned digital assets into a political identity. Grounded in tax cuts, anti-debanking protections and an innovation sandbox, it reframed technological progress as a party promise rather than a collective pursuit.
In the US, the Make America Wealthy Again Super PAC’s move to accept crypto donations marks a clear shift. Digital assets are no longer fringe tools but fixtures of political fundraising. Crypto is now part of a campaign’s infrastructure and a marker of political allegiances.
Regulation is catching up, but progress depends on dialogue that puts innovation before politics.
In Argentina, where inflation continues to rise, and trust in peso is waning, people are turning to cryptocurrency. With one of the highest crypto adoption rates in the West, digital assets have become symbols of economic sovereignty in the market. Yet President Javier Milei’s promotion of the LIBRA memecoin showed how innovation can be folded into political branding.
Simply put, once a technology gains power, political actors rush to claim it.
Politics distorts innovation
When politics enters innovation, progress becomes performative. Blockchain, crypto and AI weren’t built to serve party lines. They were built to solve real problems: transparency, access and efficiency.
Yet increasingly, these tools are being treated as ideological signals. Supporting blockchain is viewed as a sign of political loyalty, while skepticism is seen as opposition. Conflating being “for” or “against” a political ideology with whether someone is pro or anti-crypto is a slippery slope. When it happens, countries lose sight of what innovation is meant to achieve.
Related: Bitcoin’s invisible tug-of-war between suits and cypherpunks
Politicization also amplifies fear. These technologies already challenge existing power structures, jobs and institutions; adding a political layer makes them tools for division instead of development. The future of innovation depends on decoupling technology from ideology and establishing innovative, consistent and politically neutral regulations that foster genuine growth rather than polarization.
Build progress on trust
For institutions, the question is not which side of a political debate to back. Instead, it’s about secure, compliant and trustworthy systems. In finance, that trust depends on building systems that banks and regulators can rely upon. When blockchain is designed with this in mind, it stops being experimental and begins becoming infrastructure.
The future of finance will emerge from technology that connects institutions and communities, bridging traditional finance with the decentralized systems that are shaping tomorrow’s economy. Builders and policymakers must move in parallel.
Builders should embed compliance and interoperability from the start. Policymakers must create clear, adaptive frameworks that give innovators confidence to build responsibly. Progress happens when both evolve together.
Nigeria offers a glimpse of how that collaboration can work. There, blockchain is not treated as a political signal but as national infrastructure. The government’s National Blockchain Policy aims to integrate blockchain into healthcare, education and land registration while creating a trusted framework for public and private collaboration. It’s a case study in principle-based policy.
For others to follow, the focus must be on governance that enables, not controls. Policymakers should prioritize clarity over complexity and accountability over appearance. Builders, meanwhile, must design systems that banks, regulators and users can trust and understand.
Opinion by: Marcos Viriato, co-founder and CEO of Parfin.
This opinion article presents the contributor’s expert view and it may not reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. This content has undergone editorial review to ensure clarity and relevance, Cointelegraph remains committed to transparent reporting and upholding the highest standards of journalism. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research before taking any actions related to the company.
This opinion article presents the contributor’s expert view and it may not reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. This content has undergone editorial review to ensure clarity and relevance, Cointelegraph remains committed to transparent reporting and upholding the highest standards of journalism. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own research before taking any actions related to the company.
