The Eternal Optimist with Karl Floersch | Layer Zero

May 3, 2022

Karl Floersch, co-founder of Optimism and champion for public goods funding, dives into the world of Ethereum and Web3. He shares his journey in crypto, detailing pivotal inspirations like Vitalik Buterin. Karl highlights the importance of aligning technology with human values to avoid pitfalls. The conversation also tackles the dynamics of DAOs and retroactive funding models, advocating for collective decision-making. Plus, they explore thought experiments, including Roko’s Basilisk, discussing how technological advancements can foster ethical behavior and a brighter future.

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ANECDOTE

Discovering Ethereum

Karl Floersch discovered Ethereum through DevCon Zero videos on YouTube.
This led him to leave his job and pursue a career in crypto.

ANECDOTE

Joining ConsenSys

Karl Floersch cold-emailed ConsenSys, attended meetups, and worked remotely while still employed.
His picture in a New York Times article revealed his transition to his boss.

INSIGHT

Early Crypto Motivations

In the early days of crypto, career advancement wasn't the primary focus.
The focus was contributing to a small industry and making a real impact.

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Karl Floersch is the co-founder of Optimism, the Ethereum rollup scaling solution, as well as one of the primary advocates in the space for public goods funding.

Through his prolific body of work—as well as a boundless well of optimism and energy—Karl is a core beating heart of Ethereum culture, as well as a schelling point for values and ethos across the ecosystem.

We say it every episode: the code we write impacts the people who use it. Few embody this declaration more than Karl, whose deepest passion is building technological infrastructure to incentivize ethical behavior.

We also explore the concept of ‘Ether’s Phoenix,’ a hypothetical being that rewards you for manifesting it—directly contrasting the concept of Roko’s Basilisk (research at your own risk).

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------ Topics Covered:

0:00 Intro 5:00 Inspiration and Leaders 10:10 Road to Ethereum 16:13 For the Right Reasons 21:12 Embedding Values 28:35 The School of Fish 34:38 The Future Karl Sees 42:00 The Human Body Metaphor 47:44 The Decentralized Brain 52:25 Retroactive Public Goods Funding 57:14 Distributing Funds 1:01:08 Unprecedented Opportunity 1:04:59 R*ku’s B*silisk 1:08:39 Ether’s Phoenix (caw!) 1:15:40 A Just Utopia

------ Resources:

Karl Floersch: https://twitter.com/karl_dot_tech Optimism: https://twitter.com/optimismPBC Ether’s Phoenix: https://medium.com/ethereum-optimism/ethers-phoenix-18fb7d7304bb

----- Not financial or tax advice. This channel is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This video is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.

Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here: https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/bankless-disclosures