Crypto founder told to pose in a bathrobe by Vanity Fair because our “mature” industry still being mocked
Following a critical Vanity Fair article, the crypto industry debated whether the mockery reflected external bias or unresolved internal contradictions.Summary
The crypto industry reacted strongly to Vanity Fair's article, "Crypto's True Believers Demand to Be Taken Seriously," particularly after founder Hayden Adams was asked to pose in a bathrobe. Reactions fell into three camps: that legacy media misunderstands the mature, ETF-influenced industry; that the shoot was deliberately condescending; or, more honestly, that the photos captured real internal contradictions after the industry sought establishment legitimacy. Critics noted that the industry's lobbying power and significant capital allocation (especially into BTC) suggest it no longer needs mainstream media approval, yet the backlash revealed a deep-seated insecurity about cultural legitimacy. The article concludes that if institutional adoption continues, the cultural caricature will become irrelevant as serious capital focuses on Bitcoin, but if macro conditions worsen, the industry may confirm it earned the satire it received by seeking elite validation.
(Source：CryptoSlate)