> The people who pay into this are either taken in by the pretense that they’re sponsoring open-source work

> Honestly, I think the first category is somewhere between "microscopic" and "nonexistent", but most people in the second category will end up holding the bag when this thing inevitably collapses.

I agree. There may be folks willing to support open-source software via a crypto-friendly vehicle, but most involved in this are hoping to make money on a pump and not get left holding the bag.

Everyone involved in this scheme is fully aware of the game being played (or should be) and the risks involved. The notion that "crypto grifters" are corrupting naive open-source developers just strikes me as an odd way to describe such activity.