Marcos Viriato, the co-founder and CEO of Parfin, highlights a significant shift in the purpose and applica…

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Marcos Viriato, the co-founder and CEO of Parfin, highlights a significant shift in the purpose and application of blockchain technology. Originally, blockchain was born to decentralize power and create systems that operate on transparency rather than centralized control. However, this foundational intent is being tested as both governments and corporations increasingly integrate blockchain into their existing institutional frameworks. This transition marks a departure from the technology’s initial role as a tool for autonomy, moving it toward a function that reinforces oversight within traditional structures.

Viriato suggests that while innovation is often led by entrepreneurs, it inevitably attracts political attention once it begins to reshape economic landscapes. This has led to a scenario where financial infrastructure is becoming entangled with shifting political narratives. According to the author, it is essential that the underlying infrastructure of finance remains stable and does not fluctuate according to the political climate. The focus for institutions should instead be on establishing a robust infrastructure that is grounded in trust, ensuring that the digital age’s governance remains reliable and transparent for all participants in the global economy.

Context

The politicization of digital assets is becoming evident across various global regions, where technology is being reframed as part of party identities. In the United Kingdom, for instance, the Reform party introduced a “crypto renaissance” pledge. This move effectively turned digital assets into a political identity, linking technological progress with specific party promises. Such developments suggest that crypto is no longer just a technical or financial tool but a fixture in political discourse. This reframing can shift innovation from a collective pursuit to a partisan promise.

Similar trends are visible in the United States, where the Make America Wealthy Again Super PAC has accepted cryptocurrency donations. This indicates that digital assets are being utilized as a standard part of political fundraising infrastructure and as a marker of political allegiances. Meanwhile, in Argentina, the adoption of cryptocurrency is driven by economic necessity rather than just political branding. People in Argentina are turning to cryptocurrency as a response to rising inflation and a waning trust in the national peso. While the technology serves as a symbol of economic sovereignty for many, it has also been folded into political branding by actors seeking to claim the power of innovation. This highlights how political actors often rush to associate themselves with technologies once they gain significant social or economic influence.

Impact

When politics enters the realm of innovation, the progress achieved can often become performative rather than practical. Blockchain, cryptocurrency, and artificial intelligence were not originally built to serve party lines; their primary purpose was to solve real-world problems such as transparency, access, and efficiency. However, as these tools become ideological signals, countries risk losing sight of what innovation is meant to achieve. Supporting or opposing blockchain is increasingly viewed through the lens of political loyalty, which can lead to division instead of development for the broader public.

The author argues that for institutions to lead effectively, they must build systems that are fundamentally apolitical, compliant, and interoperable. Financial infrastructure must be designed to withstand shifting political narratives to remain functional for all users. The conflation of technology with ideology creates a slippery slope where the objective benefits of blockchain—such as increased accountability—are overshadowed by partisan polarization. To foster genuine growth, there is a need to decouple technology from these ideologies. By establishing consistent and neutral regulations, the industry can ensure that innovation continues to serve the public interest rather than the specific agendas of political actors. This approach allows for the development of secure systems that banks and regulators can rely upon without the interference of temporary political shifts.

Outlook

The future of blockchain technology depends on the ability of builders and policymakers to work in parallel toward shared goals. Nigeria provides a notable example of how this collaboration can be structured without treating technology as a political signal. The government’s National Blockchain Policy in Nigeria aims to integrate blockchain into essential public sectors, including healthcare, education, and land registration. This policy is designed to create a trusted framework that facilitates collaboration between the public and private sectors, treating blockchain as national infrastructure rather than an ideological tool.

Moving forward, the focus for global institutions should be on governance that enables growth rather than focusing on control. To achieve this, builders are encouraged to embed compliance and interoperability into their systems from the outset. Simultaneously, policymakers must create clear and adaptive frameworks that provide innovators with the confidence to build responsibly. By establishing an infrastructure grounded in trust, the industry can move away from experimental phases and toward becoming a permanent part of the global financial architecture. The goal is to create systems that connect institutions and communities, bridging traditional finance with decentralized systems. As long as the technology remains grounded in principles of transparency and reliability, it can continue to evolve as a neutral foundation for the future economy.