• Edward Snowden talked at Camp Decrypt 2022 about the Ethereum merge, the sanctioning of Tornado Cash, privacy shortcomings of Bitcoin and Ethereum and using DAOs to source tips from whistleblowers.
• Kathleen Breitman talked about how Tezos blockchain has used a proof-of-stake mechanism since inception, admiration for Tendermint, Ethereum and sharding, progressive decentralization and NFT gaming at Web Summit 2022.
• Clay Robbins, Soona Amhaz, Sarah Guo and Alex Strzesniewski discussed raising venture money in a bear market during 0xpo Summit.
At Camp Decrypt 2022 in Napa, California, Edward Snowden, the renowned privacy advocate and former contractor for the National Security Agency, gave an extensive talk on the most pressing topics in the blockchain space. During the talk, he discussed the Ethereum merge, the sanctioning of Ethereum mixer Tornado Cash by the U.S. government, the privacy shortcomings of Bitcoin and Ethereum, and his view on using DAOs to source tips from whistleblowers.
Snowden expressed his opinion that while the Ethereum merge is “a step in the right direction”, it is “not the only solution” to the challenges of scalability and decentralization. He argued that the merger of the Ethereum networks is a “temporary solution”, and that “long-term solutions” should be sought. He also discussed the sanctions placed on Tornado Cash by the U.S. government, noting that it “is not a crime to mix your money.”
He also discussed the privacy issues of both Bitcoin and Ethereum, noting that “the privacy of Bitcoin and Ethereum has failed”. He argued that “the way the system works today, the network is not really that private.” He went on to suggest that privacy needs to be built into the protocol level, rather than relying on outside tools like mixers.
Snowden also discussed his view on using DAOs to source tips from whistleblowers. He argued that “DAOs are a powerful tool” and that they can “act as a signal to people in a way that is censorship-resistant.” He went on to say that “DAOs can be used to source tips, ideas, and feedback from people who are not necessarily connected to the DAO.”
At Web Summit in Lisbon, Kathleen Breitman, co-founder of Tezos, gave an extensive talk about how the Tezos blockchain has used a proof-of-stake mechanism since its inception. She discussed her admiration for Tendermint, Ethereum and sharding, as well as progressive decentralization and NFT gaming. Breitman argued that the Tezos blockchain was ahead of the curve when it comes to the proof-of-stake merge and that it is “a natural fit” for NFT gaming.
At 0xpo Summit in San Francisco, Clay Robbins of Slow Ventures, Soona Amhaz of Volt Capital, Sarah Guo of Conviction and formerly Greylock, and Alex Strzesniewski of AngelBlock joined Decrypt’s Jason Nelson to discuss raising venture money even during Crypto Winter. They discussed the challenges of raising funds during this bear market, how startups can differentiate themselves from the competition, and the importance of having a good team.
Overall, the talks from Camp Decrypt 2022, Web Summit 2022, and 0xpo Summit provided valuable insight into the ever-evolving world of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. Edward Snowden, Kathleen Breitman, and the venture capitalists discussed the most pressing issues in the blockchain space, from the Ethereum merge to raising venture money in a bear market. Their talks provided valuable insight into the current state of the industry and where it is headed in the future.