Today on Crypto Twitter: Coffeezilla and Balaji Discuss the Market, Aya Miyaguchi Becomes EF President

Price movements gain a lot of attention, while the Ethereum Foundation leadership undergoes changes. Follow along for the top 3 topics on Crypto Twitter today.

1. Balaji Says Tariffs Are Bad for Economy but Good for Crypto 

Balaji Srinivasan, an early advocate of Bitcoin and former Coinbase CTO, shared his thoughts on how Donald Trump’s trade tariffs could impact the U.S. economy and the crypto market. 

Known for his deep belief in decentralization, Balaji argues that while tariffs are likely harmful to the economy, they could have a positive impact on crypto.

Trump’s goal to support domestic businesses and boost manufacturing, according to Balaji, won’t lead to immediate production increases but will result in higher prices. 

Balaji sees this as part of a larger trend that could favor decentralized alternatives like crypto.

In an X post, Balaji explained why tariffs could be good for crypto. He predicts that, over time, international capitalism will shift on-chain, with smart contracts becoming the go-to for cross-border agreements.

Because you might not be able to trust a country's economic promises, but you can trust cryptography's mathematical guarantees.

Balaji, who co-authored the 2021 article Great Protocol Politics on the shift from rules-based international orders to code-based ones, has long championed decentralization. He believes in the power of cryptographic techniques to protect human rights, reshape international relationships, and transform business operations.

Beyond market analysis, one of Balaji's key contributions to crypto is the Nakamoto Coefficient, a metric used to measure the decentralization level of a blockchain network.

2. Leadership Changes in Ethereum Foundation: Aya Miyaguchi Becomes the EF President 

Aya Miyaguchi has been a steady force in the Ethereum Foundation (EF) for seven years, shaping its direction as Executive Director. Now, she’s stepping into a new role as President. 

Today, I’m excited to turn the page and share that I will be closing this chapter as Executive Director of the @ethereumfndn soon and stepping into a new role as its President,

– Aya said in an X post.

Miyaguchi took on the role of Executive Director in 2018. Under her leadership, the EF played a key role in Ethereum’s development, from carrying out major upgrades to driving community growth. But her tenure hasn’t been without controversy—recent criticism over Ether’s underperformance led some in the community to call for her resignation.

Vitalik Buterin opposed these calls, emphasizing that pressure-driven leadership changes were not the right approach.

Miyaguchi’s announcement came about a month after these heated discussions. Vitalik Buterin revealed she had proposed becoming EF President a year ago, making it clear this was not a reactive move but a planned shift.

Buterin praised Miyaguchi’s contributions to the project:

She has accomplished much in her seven years as executive director of the EF – he said in an X post, adding, Every success of the EF – the steady execution of Ethereum hard forks, client interop workshops, Devcon, Ethereum's culture and steadfast commitment to its mission and values, and more – is in part a result of Aya's stewardship.

EF’s leadership structure is set to change, though details remain unclear. Buterin said work is underway and more updates are coming.

Reactions to her transition were mixed. Supporters praised her dedication, while critics remained skeptical. “Ok, a symbolic role where she can continue to do nothing,” @coinmamba commented, sharing the news.

3. Coffeezilla Spoke Up About Scams Shaking the Crypto Market 

Coffeezilla, the popular podcast host and crypto scam investigator, recently linked the current market drop to scams. He previously shared impressive findings on the LIBRA memecoin and interviewed Hayden Davis, exposing insider trading secrets in the memecoin sector.

Crypto finding out that scamming retail investors over and over was maybe not a good idea

– he wrote on X. 

In a previous tweet from January, Coffeezilla warned: “Onboarding millions into crypto with scams and grifts is a terrible idea, in hindsight.” He’s been a vocal critic of shady projects and often highlights how the crypto world has, at times, failed its community.

At the time of writing, the crypto market is down, with Bitcoin trading below $90,000, and the total market cap hovering around $2.8 trillion.

Coffeezilla’s statement seems to resonate with the current sentiment, as market metrics indicate that investors are now more cautious about taking risks.