Ideologies and Imaginaries in Blockchain Communities: The Case of Ethereum

Abstract

Background: Academic literature on blockchains has focused on Bitcoin, which is traditionally associated with right-wing libertarianism. This article looks at Ethereum, an alternative that emerged in Canada and is now the second most used blockchain technology after Bitcoin. Analysis: Using participatory observation supplemented with publicly available material, this article examines the ideologies and imaginaries surrounding Ethereum and how they are articulated with its technical design. Conclusion and implications: Ethereum’s design ostensibly widens the ideological spectrum of cryptocurrency while “masking” certain currency ideologies still prominent within it. This complicates the distinction seen in the literature between blockchain as currency and blockchain as media and points to the increasing need to study non-currency-based blockchain technologies.