Hoskinson Warns Developers Could Be Criminalized

[nihalsari]

Hoskinson also highlighted concerns over protections for DeFi developers. According to the leaked proposal, anyone designing, deploying, or operating a front-end service for a DeFi protocol could be classified as a regulated intermediary, effectively putting developers at risk of criminal liability.

“The little guy is the person who downloads a browser wallet, buys an NFT, or participates in a meme coin,” Hoskinson said. “This is the person who built crypto—it’s not Chase, Goldman Sachs, Google, or Pfizer.”

He warned that heavy-handed regulations could drive the U.S. crypto industry overseas, giving international competitors a major advantage in a market projected to grow from $4 trillion to $10 trillion.

[Nahid10]

The concern is valid — labeling developers as potential criminals discourages open-source growth in DeFi.

[EmTeam]

If coders become legal targets, innovation will move offshore. Lawmakers need to understand how development really works.