Economist and fierce bitcoin critic Nouriel Roubini has slammed BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes in a series of angry tweets, calling him a “sleazy coward.”
Roubini and Hayes sparred in a heated on-stage debate at the Asia Blockchain Summit on Wednesday, but the organizers have so far refused to release footage. Roubini accused the organizers of censoring the debate and called the crypto community “mafioso gangsters.”
“Shut up and release the tape of our debate. This was the only session not streamed live as you mafioso gangsters decided to censor it with hush money and keep the only tape for yourselves. Typical bully behaviour of yours. Release the tape you coward [Arthur Hayes]! Talk is cheap!”
Shut up and release the tape of our debate. This was the only session not streamed live as you mafioso gangsters decided to censor it with hush money and keep the only tape for yourselves. Typical bully behaviour of yours. Release the tape you coward @CryptoHayes! Talk is cheap! https://t.co/guNLMkww5T
— Nouriel Roubini (@Nouriel) July 3, 2019
Roubini debates BitMEX CEO Arthur Hayes
The much-hyped session between Nouriel and Hayes was a firestorm of insults and rants, judging by the transcript published by The Block’s Mike Dudas. The pair launched into personal attacks and repeatedly shouted over each other. The moderator stepped in numerous times and asked Roubini to stop repeating himself.
While explosive, the session probably didn’t do much for the cryptocurrency industry. By pitching two opposite ends of the spectrum against each other, the chance of civil debate was nil from the start. As CCN reported, Hayes called Roubini a bitter “no-coiner” in the run-up to the debate and promised to “wipe the floor with him.”
Hayes hits back
Roubini has now demanded the release of the tapes, but it seems BitMEX holds the only copy. Hayes responded to Roubini’s war of words:
“Don’t worry our tapes will exposure your thin grasp of economics and technology. After seeing these tapes, I would be surprised if you were allowed into any higher learning institution.”
Roubini, meanwhile, is adamant he “destroyed” Hayes:
“He controls the only recording of it and will only release heavily edited “highlights”. I destroyed [Hayes] in the debate and he is hiding. RELEASE THE TAPE YOU COWARD!”
Nouriel Roubini is perhaps the most outspoken critic of bitcoin, previously calling it the “mother of all scams,” and painted crypto holders as “arrogant and clueless.”