After his talk at Web3 Summit Berlin, Yanis Varoufakis spoke with journalists in the press lounge about Web3, Technofeudalism, cloud capital, blockchain, digital sovereignty, social media, and Europe’s technological decline.
In this interview, Varoufakis argues that Web3 alone cannot counter the power of Big Tech unless society also confronts who owns and controls “cloud capital”. He discusses his idea of a universal basic dividend, why returns from algorithmic capital should be shared with the public, and how a monetary commons could democratise money creation.
The conversation also touches on Greece’s 2015 referendum, the blockchain-based payment system Varoufakis says was ready to activate, and whether a sovereign digital infrastructure could have changed the balance of power with the European Central Bank.
Other topics include crypto and AI bubbles, Europe’s dependence on US platforms, the limits of blockchain as a political project, the decline of the left in the crypto space, online anonymity, social media for under-16s, and the role of democratic politics in challenging oligarchic power.
Interview recorded at Web3 Summit Berlin on 18 June 2026.
Topics covered:
Web3 and technofeudalism
Universal basic dividend and cloud capital
Blockchain and the Greek referendum
Digital sovereignty and monetary autonomy
Crypto, AI bubbles and collateral damage
Europe’s technological dependence
Anonymity, social media and children
The left, blockchain and political failure
Questions by:
Rivkah Brown
Patrick Domanico
Laila Humairah
Katherine Mendoza
Oliver Poole
Andy Vantino
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