Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) co-founder Vitalik Buterin criticized what he called "unhinged" attacks on Europe in a Tuesday post, arguing that much of the internet's anger is "over the top" and detached from the reality he observes on the ground.
Buterin Pushes Back Against Internet Outrage Toward Europe
Buterin said he has watched a growing wave of anti-EU sentiment spread across social media in recent days, including from figures he previously considered "interesting and sophisticated."
He argued that the tone of commentary has shifted into exaggerated rhetoric that paints Europe as facing "apocalyptic" decline.
While acknowledging issues such as excessive bureaucracy, privacy-related missteps, and uneven foreign-policy treatment, he said the intensity of the criticism "seems really over the top" compared to his own experience spending about two months per year in Europe over the past decade.
He added that many posts appear aimed at delegitimizing Europe as a whole rather than offering constructive feedback.
"I don't believe the line that ‘the target is not Europe, it's the EU,'" he wrote, noting that he saw several attacks directed at London as well.
Context: Buterin's Earlier Opposition To ‘Chat Control'
Buterin's remarks come months after he publicly opposed the EU's proposed "Chat Control" legislation, which would require platforms to scan private messages for illegal content.
In September 2025, he said the plan threatened digital privacy and argued that governments "cannot make society secure by making people insecure."
The bill drew criticism from developers, privacy advocates and traders who said it would violate Articles 7 and 8 of the EU Charter and accelerate adoption of decentralized Web3 communication tools.
ForkLog reported that lawmakers had considered exempting intelligence, police, military and ministerial communications from scanning, a move critics called hypocritical.
The legislation remains controversial across member states and continues to influence debates about digital rights as new regulatory frameworks take shape.
Why Buterin's Comments Matter For Investors
Buterin's pushback matters because it highlights how far online discourse has drifted from the day-to-day reality builders see on the ground in Europe.
His comments underline a problem investors often overlook. When social-media narratives spiral, they can distort how teams judge regulatory risk, which shapes where capital and talent ultimately flow.
For crypto founders, Europe still offers workable rules and a growing framework for tokenization and digital identity, yet the loudest commentary online paints a very different picture.
Buterin is pointing out that this gap can cause investors to overlook regions that quietly offer stability while others remain gridlocked.
If that mismatch keeps widening, Europe could become a market that people underestimate simply because the discourse around it is louder than the facts.
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