A look at the two-day Crypto Policy Symposium, the world's first conference for crypto skeptics, from policymakers and journalists to disillusioned programmers
The Crypto Policy Symposium in London was a historic gathering of crypto skeptics—and nobody tried to sell me anything. Tweets: @hkanji , @ben_munster , @izakaminska , @molly0xfff , and @decryptmedia Tweets: Hussein Kanji / @hkanji : Crypto skeptics have existed almost as long as crypto has, but last year's parabolic rise in cryptocurrencies—and this year's subsequent vomitous crash—brought with it a new, more determined cohort https://decrypt.co/... @ben_munster : My dispatch from thr world's first nocoiner conference! Ft @davidgerard & @smdiehl @MartinCWWalker https://decrypt.co/... Izabella Kaminska / @izakaminska : Excellent write up by @decryptmedia of the Nocoiner symposium https://decrypt.co/... Proud to have co-authored a paper with that ardent train enthusiast with a penchant for evidence-based processes @MartinCWWalker Molly White / @molly0xfff : this was—genuinely—a very enjoyable read 😁 https://twitter.com/... @decryptmedia : “One guy, that's a weird guy. Two guys, that's a movement!” Self-proclaimed “no-coiners” are growing rapidly, and earlier this week they held their first ever symposium for crypto skeptics: https://decrypt.co/...
Context & Ripple Effects
Crypto skepticism has been consolidating all year: Garbage Day argued that calling out Web3's failures is not an anti-blockchain conspiracy, and a New York Times piece urged regulators to crack down now that crypto has borrowed respectability from high-status institutions. The Crypto Policy Symposium in London is that diffuse criticism taking institutional form — a two-day gathering of policymakers, journalists, and disillusioned programmers under the 'nocoiner' banner.
It also arrives as a counterweight to the other side's organizing: since 2021, industry players like Fidelity Investments have been pushing the SEC toward Bitcoin-linked ETFs while meeting lawmaker resistance. With both camps now holding physical events, the legitimacy fight is moving off Twitter and into conference halls.
First-order effects
- Crypto skeptics gain what they previously lacked — a dedicated venue where policymakers, journalists like Izabella Kaminska and Molly White, and ex-industry programmers can coordinate arguments rather than trade scattered tweets.
Second-order effects
- Industry lobbying efforts, from Fidelity's ETF push onward, now face an organized counter-constituency presenting regulators with a structured skeptical case instead of ad hoc criticism.
Third-order effects
- If the symposium becomes recurring, crypto policy debate splits into two professionalized camps — promoters and skeptics — each with events, media channels, and direct regulator access, raising the bar for which narrative reaches lawmakers.
The trend: The fight over crypto's legitimacy is professionalizing on both sides, shifting from online discourse to institutional venues that compete for policymaker attention.