A growing wave of frustration is spreading across the Kaspa community after researcher Yonatan Sompolinsky, widely respected for his foundational work in blockchain consensus, was effectively ignored during the Binance Awards ceremony, despite winning the “Independent Researcher” category by community vote.
According to Sompolinsky, he won the award outright, and his follow-up post addressing Binance drew nearly 3 million views. His contribution to blockchain research, including critical advancements that Kaspa builds upon, is broadly recognized across the industry. But at the live ceremony, none of that mattered.
There was no mention of his name, no acknowledgment of the win, and the award was instead handed to the runner-up, as if the actual winner simply didn’t exist.
What has angered the community even more is the silence that followed. Binance hasn’t responded publicly, hasn’t clarified the situation, and has offered no explanation to the person who supposedly won one of their own awards. To Kaspa supporters, the message feels clear: independent researchers aren’t valued unless they fit the narrative or benefit the platform’s bottom line.
What happened with Yonatan Sompolinsky at the Binance Awards is honestly hard to ignore.
— Kaspa Daily (@DailyKaspa) December 4, 2025
He won the Independent Researcher category. The community voted for him. His contribution to blockchain research is undeniable. His follow-up post addressing Binance pulled in almost 3…
Members of the Kaspa community argue that this moment cuts deeper than a simple award mishap. Crypto was built on ideals of decentralization, transparency, and fairness; values Sompolinsky’s work directly supports. Yet the event showed how easily those principles can be pushed aside when they no longer serve centralized interests.
Meanwhile, Kaspa’s price action remains muted. The KAS price is barely moving this week, trading around $0.057, as community attention shifts away from charts and toward what many view as a symbolic moment for the industry.
For supporters, this incident won’t be forgotten. It raises uncomfortable questions about the priorities of major centralized platforms, and highlights the ongoing tension between genuine innovation and the influence of corporate gatekeepers in crypto.
Read also: Today’s Data Shows Whales Are More Bullish On Kaspa, KAS Accumulation Intensifies
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