MakerDAO, one of the early pioneers of decentralized finance, has sparked criticism over its decision to block virtual private network (VPN) users from accessing its recently launched lending platform, Spark Protocol.
At the time of writing, VPN users that attempt to access the Spark Protocol website will be met with an error: “Accessing this website via VPN is not allowed.”
The measure appears to be linked to Maker’s attempt to restrict United States users from accessing the crypto lending platform, discussed in a May 9 update to Spark Protocol’s terms of service warns against the use of VPNs to circumvent the block.
In an Aug. 6 tweet, DeFi analyst Chris Blec was among those saying he was “disgusted” with the decision, highlighting it effectively acts as a blanket ban on VPNs across the globe, not just in the U.S.
“It’s one thing to block US residents. It’s a whole other thing to block anyone in the entire world who is using a VPN for privacy,” said Blec, adding it is an…
