Edward Snowden, the privacy advocate and former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, addressed decentralization during his appearance at Near’s Redacted conference in Bangkok, Thailand. Speaking on topics like cryptocurrencies, artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, Snowden also addressed the impact of venture capital (VC) on blockchain projects, using Solana as an example. He described Solana as “born in prison” due to its heavy VC funding, suggesting that heavy financial backing can impede a blockchain network’s ability to operate independently. While he acknowledged Solana…