CZ, CEO of Binance. Source: Cryptopotato
Nouriel Roubini, also commonly referred to as “Dr. Doom”, is an economist who has been continuously at war with everything crypto. Earlier this month, he shared an article calling Bitcoin a scam and argued that the cryptocurrency was a “right-wing nightmare”.
As the Asia Blockchain Summit goes on, Roubini has just found himself involved in a feud with one of the industry’s most influential people: Chagpeng Zhao, the founder and CEO of the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange, Binance.
It all started after CZ published a tweet earlier today alleging that Roubini regularly attends crypto conferences solely to bash them.
In response, Roubini called CZ a “jerk” and a “snake oil peddler” while boasting about his influential position in the crypto space.
The most pathetic critique I have heard about me is from this jerk @cz_binance; I was chosen as the 3rd most influential person in the world in the crypto space coz I am the only honest critic of this shitty space who isnt talking his book 24/7 the way you do snake oil peddler http://t.co/t3BlZ2aGpH
— Nouriel Roubini (@Nouriel) July 2, 2019
In response, CZ argued that it’s odd to call a guy a “jerk” because he’s building what he believes in, rather than a guy who regularly attends conferences in order to call Bitcoin a scam.
Needless to say, the community is predominantly on the side of Zhao.
But Roubini’s feuds didn’t end with CZ. Dr. Doom will have a debate at the Asia Blockchain Summit tomorrow with BitMEX’s co-founder and CEO, Arthur Hayes.
Roubini started this particular quarrel on June 26, questioning those members of the crypto space who believe in the statistics that exchanges provide. The economist’s tweet comes in light of the Bitwise report which found that approximately 95% of crypto exchange volumes are fake.
How can one believe ANY of these figures when 95 percent of all bitcoin transactions on a typical exchange are fake? Fake-coins, shit-coins, fake-transactions, fake-pricing. The only true thing in crypto space is manipulation, pump n dump, front-running, wash trading, etc… http://t.co/i43cPwjFX2
— Nouriel Roubini (@Nouriel) June 26, 2019
Hayes was quick to hit back:
Maybe you should speak with my private bankers they will inform you BitMEX don’t fake shit. Can’t wait to see you in Taipei XOXO.
BitMEX’s CEO further bashed Roubini in a Bloomberg interview today, stating that Dr. Doom is a “hater” and “someone who does not have any Bitcoin.” Hayes also furthered his argument that BitMEX’s volumes were not fake.
[Roubini said] our volumes are fake, that there’s no real market action going on, but we beg to differ. There is real trading going on.