On December 17, 2025, former Tsinghua University professor Hu Yilin criticized Ethereum's shift from Proof of Work (PoW) to Proof of Stake (PoS) during a Sea Talk podcast. Hu argued that Ethereum's new PoS model mirrors traditional banking and fiat systems by focusing on controlling funds for interest-based cash flow. While he acknowledged PoS as a viable asset issuance mechanism, Hu warned that using Ethereum as a base currency could lead to a more problematic financial logic than traditional fiat currencies like the dollar, due to its trend of "staking and re-staking" for profit within its ecosystem.