Like the internet, the backbone of Ethereum is its permissionless core. Anyone can go back to a more primitive stage and try sprouting a new limb. But Ethereum is more complex. It allows for the layering of rigid, nearly unbreakable structures in between a voluntary system of agreements. Out of the single spine of the internet, Ethereum combines cryptographically stiff bones and joints with the connective tissue of standards and cultural norms; all subject to the disorderly and competitive process of evolution. And it’s still early, so we have no idea what this thing will look like.

Feudal Japan used a class system based on a simple hierarchy. There were four classes: Warriors called Samurai at the very top and Merchants at the very bottom. In the middle were Farmers and Artisans (craftsmen).

NFTs are objects that last forever in the Ethereum universe. It’s easier and more fun to think of Ethereum as a sci-fi universe like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The difference is Ethereum lives on the internet, can get you paid, and in this universe, no one controls the story.

You, your local government, and your book club now have the ability to create digital scarcity, which means the option to experiment with money. Since money, or the lack of it, is at the root of many of our deepest and most persistent societal issues, this an option worth exploring.

Every system is a machine. A set of rules and moving parts meant to help people. But there are times when the machines we use become hopelessly outdated and ineffective. The economy, the financial system, these are machines – tools – meant to circulate money around and allow people to live richer lives. But if the machine keeps pushing all the money to the top or if it breaks like it did in 1929 or 2008 or whatever year the next major malfunction occurs, then we should have a backup plan. Repairs and upgrades may not be enough. A new machine may be needed.

Most people get into crypto for the money. Either to get rich, or as a protest against the current system.

There is a giant clock inside a mountain in Texas called the Clock of the Long Now. The clock was built to be as sturdy as possible using physical elements– stone and steel – to guarantee its longevity. It is meant to keep time for 10,000 years and designed to function with as little human intervention as possible.

Ethereum is simple. It is a way to agree. First, we must be able to agree on what is true. On Ethereum, the truth is not an opinion, but an observation. A self-evident fact that an event happened, it happened at this time, and it followed the math, a set of logic no one can control. So, if the math checks out, and enough people agree that the math checks out, then we have reached a point of truth.