Tyler Winklevoss, who co-founded the cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, has voiced strong opposition to Gary Gensler, the previous chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Following Gensler’s appointment as a professor at MIT, Winklevoss stated that Gemini will refuse to employ any graduates from the institution.
Winklevoss Declares Boycott on MIT Graduates due to Gensler
Winklevoss stated on social media, “While MIT maintains any link to Gary Gensler, Gemini will not recruit any graduates from the university, nor will we hire for our summer internship program.”
While @MIT maintains a relationship with Gary Gensler, @Gemini will not hire any alumni from the institution, nor any summer interns.
— Tyler Winklevoss (@tyler) January 30, 2025
His announcement comes after the MIT Sloan Office confirmed that Gensler will be teaching global economics, emphasizing topics like artificial intelligence, finance, fintech, and public policy. This news has intrigued many in the crypto community, with speculations about whether Gensler’s views on cryptocurrency will evolve. There are concerns that an increase in anti-crypto sentiments among graduates could occur.
Winklevoss’s position may align with these worries or could simply represent a defiant response from the crypto sector towards Gensler’s previous regulatory activities. Erik Voorhees, founder of Venice.ai, expressed similar sentiments, stating that “Every crypto business should avoid hiring MIT graduates until Gensler is removed. Such a move tarnishes the reputation of a prestigious institution! We can champion peace and market discretion where Gary chose coercion and extortion.”
Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler’s twin and co-founder of Gemini, also criticized the decision, remarking, “Hiring Gary Gensler, the foremost authority on public policy failures, was a poor choice.”
Hiring Gary Gensler, the foremost authority on public policy failures, was a poor choice.
— Cameron Winklevoss (@cameron) January 30, 2025
While some supporters in the crypto community welcome this action, others contend that it represents an extreme measure and an example of ‘cancel culture’ going too far.
