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The Blockchain Socialist

Safeguarding Ethereum's Soul: Protocol Guild and governing the digital commons

Dec 10, 2023
Trent Van Epps, part of the Ethereum Foundation and Protocol Guild, discusses the governance of Ethereum and the need for alternative funding. They explore the connection between Ethereum's governance and open source culture, preservation of Ethereum's history, and supporting contributors. They also explore Van Eck's Ethereum futures ETF and compare Bitcoin and Ethereum in supporting structured financial products. Lastly, they discuss solidarity primitives and the role of Protocol Guild in unifying the Ethereum ecosystem.
01:16:25

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Quick takeaways

  • Ethereum's governance process involves a broad global community, with discussions occurring online to facilitate widespread participation.
  • Protocol Guild enables direct funding for Ethereum's core development, ensuring long-term stewardship and sustainability.

Deep dives

Ethereum Governance Structures

Ethereum operates on a governance structure borrowed from Bitcoin, where technical specifications for protocol changes are discussed and debated on online forums. This process involves various forums and calls where the Ethereum community debates, refines, and reaches a consensus on proposed protocol changes. These changes are then implemented through network upgrades or hard forks. The governance process prioritizes a broad global community, with discussions occurring online to facilitate widespread participation. Ethereum's governance structure is decentralized, with various organizations and individuals actively engaged in shaping the protocol's future.

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