Ezra: Bitcoin is an energy disaster. If Bitcoin were a startup and you go to their board meeting, they would probably say we have to work on this energy problem. But given it's decentralized nature, nobody is giong to change it. It makes me wonder if there are downsides to smart contracts being hard to alter.

The narrative today is, overwhelmingly: crypto mining (specifically: Proof-of-Work mining for Bitcoin and Ethereum) is a dangerously large consumer of energy. Where I expect the narrative to move to over time is: crypto mining is driving the energy transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

One area where I think we are going to see our conception of Crypto change dramatically over time is its relationship to energy.

Katie: Sometimes the middleman can be important. Let's address the environmental disaster: there re blockchains that are carbon negative. Many have adapted proof of stake. The problem of electricity usage is in proof of work consensus mechanisms. Right now 76% of Bitcoin miners are incorporating renewables into their mix. I have confidence in the... See more

At events like last week’s PactDAO panel, there is a noticeably differentiated and nuanced conversation happening. Between the polarized cheerleading from crypto maximalists and the straw-manning from leftist tech skeptics, there is a cautious yet optimistic embrace of crypto as a frontier for constructive experiments, with plenty of design space... See more