The Blockchain Socialist cover image

The Blockchain Socialist

Techno-Utopianism vs Class Struggle Technologism

Nov 27, 2022
01:11:55

For this interview I spoke to Izzy Meckler (@izmeckler), the Chief Science Officer of 0(1) Labs which is currently building the Mina Protocol. Mina is a blockchain that utilizes zero-knowledge proofs to be as light and scalable as possible. Izzy is also an active member of East Bay DSA and has a blog called Parametricity.

During the interview we spoke about his journey from making a startup to becoming a socialist and converting it to a worker-owned cooperative, how zero-knowledge proofs work, and the political implications of these technologies.

Mentioned Sources
On Moralism
On Techno-Utopianism
Mina Protocol Documentation
snarkyJS Github

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Send me your questions or comments about the show and I'll read them out sometime.

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ICYMI I've written a book about, no surprise, blockchains through a left political framework! The title is Blockchain Radicals: How Capitalism Ruined Crypto and How to Fix It and is being published through Repeater Books, the publishing house started by Mark Fisher who’s work influenced me a lot in my thinking.

The book is officially published and you use this linktree to find where you can purchase the book based on your region / country.

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