Photo Credit: Oracle Times

Just days after the EOS blockchain activated its mainnet on June 14, it froze seven accounts that it suspected belonged to thieves who had stolen funds from users.

Even before the dust began to settle on that news, the people maintaining the blockchain – called block producers – suspended 27 more accounts on June 22, saying in a statement that the “logic and reasoning for this order will be posted at a later date.” Hong Kong-based EOS is a fierce competitor of Ethereum, prompting some to call it an “Ethereum killer.”

Its move to put accounts on hold, without issuing a complete explanation, has led to an outcry from the cryptocurrency community.

Some pointed out how it goes against blockchain’s decentralized nature. But a few optimists have called the move “pragmatic” and supposedly a small sacrifice to make the blockchain secure.

A snide comment on the EOS blockchain from a Twitter user.

The suspensions have led to a heavy sell-off of the EOS cryptocurrency, leaving investors who participated in its initial coin offering (ICO) – before the product went live – on the losing end.

EOS price volatility over the past 7 days / Image credit: Coinmarketcap

Now that its governance methods are facing increased scrutiny, some are wondering if the EOS blockchain can deliver what it promises.

The EOS blockchain is a smart contract platform advertised as a system for decentralized applications (dApps). The tech behind it is said to be a game-changer for the blockchain industry. It aims to create a more scalable network, offering a throughput of up to 6,000 transactions per second, as opposed to the six transactions per second seen on the Ethereum platform.

The EOS protocol was developed by Block.one in 2017. Its record-breaking ICO raised almost US$4 billion, and the EOS cryptocurrency has rapidly grown to become the fifth-largest crypto by market cap.

A constitutional mess

Unexplained decisions could lead to failure

EOS still holds potential