Mark Weaden
Ethereum cofounder announces his exit from the cryptocurrency, as bizarrely he fears for his safety as an industry leader.
Anthony Di Lorio caught the media’s attention back in 2018 when he bought out the penthouse in an old Trump tower in Toronto. He’s since been very much off the radar, until now.
As one of the founders of cryptocurrencies pioneering currency Ethereum, Di Lorio deciding to step back from the company has come as a huge shock to many in the crypto community. As one of the trailblazers for crypto, helping to develop and drive the Ethereum project back in 2013, it’s amazing to hear statements from him claiming he doesn’t “feel safe in this space.”
The Ethereum co-founder has often stressed that he doesn’t want to be shoe-horned into one role, that of a “crypto guy”. Rather using the blockchain technology that underpins Ether and using it to improve other aspects of society, diversifying his portfolio and using his skills for other purposes.
Why did he walk away from crypto?
The principal motivator is widely reported to be safety concerns. But, in his own words, Di Lorio made a statement to Coindesk claiming that “a good 20%” of the decision is down to concerns over personal safety, as he’s been travelling around with a security entourage for some time now.
While there are many who will look at that as a huge over exaggeration, nobody really knows his personal situation. Many crypto investors have accumulated exorbitant amounts of wealth through the early adoption of crypto, making them an ideal target to thieves and criminals of all kinds.
Security and regulation are some of the focuses of the industry, but governments and law enforcement are still unable to ensure total security and the recuperation of lost funds. As such, this may have become a major concern for Di Lorio, especially given the price of Ethereum hit an all-time high of around $4,000 earlier in the year.
What next for Di Lorio?
Clearly a talented individual, Di Lorio has great ambition to create something more positive out of blockchain and on a personal level his own talents. There is a lot of technology developing in the crypto space. Equally, there are a lot of fintech companies developing products and services using blockchain technology.
As one of the pioneers of an industry that has encapsulated millions across the globe, it won’t be easy to simply walk away. There are a lot of options open to Di Lorio and we expect to see him involved in some exciting new project in the not-so-distant future.
