This sheds some light on the topic - thanks. Still, the author states that Haskell's reputation is used to legitimize bad business. It seems to me that shady companies using the language internally is not enough to raise alarm about it.

Is there some kind of (un-)official sponsorship from (supposedly) shady actors?

Worked at a Haskell crypto startup. Your analysis of cause and effect is wrong -- crypto people are attracted to Haskell because it has features that are excellent for the domain, not because they are interested in "copping shine" from it or whatever.

To be clear, it's the author's analysis, which I'm trying to understand, not mine.

Haskell isn't that large of a language. I'm not confident if the heavy usage by shady crpyto companies is enough to ruin the image of a language but I think at the very least the advice to not depend on it financially to grow the community is a sound one.

Maybe it’s about the metaphorical ed whom is neither an elephant nor responsible for crypto’s thirst....

I'm not sure where you are - but that's not true in London (source: been working here a long time, plus have been hiring for Haskell recently)

the morality and potentially negative effects of finance are real but if Haskell wants a gold-niche to appear worthy for the mainstream world then it's a very potent one.