Philip emphasized the reality that much of the world's power remains centralized, including military, economic, and social power. He noted that this centralization creates a feedback loop, perpetuating more centralization over time. This means that if the Ethereum network continues to rely on centralized infrastructures like AWS without pushing power to the edges of the network, it will risk falling back into the patterns of the very systems it aims to disrupt.
2. Importance of Distributed Systems
Philip articulated the necessity for Ethereum to treat global power distribution as a primary objective. He warned against simply prioritizing system performance metrics, such as throughput and latency, without considering the impacts of centralization. For Ethereum to succeed, a true decentralization effort must focus not only on technology but also on the geographic distribution of power across the network.
3. Defining the Four Pillars of E3
Philip outlined four essential pillars of Ethereum's future, referred to as E3: Permissionless, Distributed, Geoeconomic Decentralization, and Neutral Builder Efficiency. Each of these pillars is non-negotiable—if any pillar is compromised, Ethereum risks failing its decentralization goals and consequently its value as a cryptocurrency. He stressed that the focus should be on building a true permissionless environment where all actors can engage equally.
4. The Concept of Geoeconomic Decentralization
Philip introduced the notion of geoeconomic decentralization, defining it as creating a level playing field for all participants, regardless of their location. This concept emphasizes that existing latency corridors and geographic advantages should not skew profit opportunities within the network. He urged the community to ensure that everyone can participate meaningfully, which is vital for maintaining the robustness and resilience of the Ethereum network.
5. The Dangers of Napkin Research
Philip criticized what he termed "napkin research," where discussions and protocols are developed casually without adequate analysis or rigorous study. He highlighted the risks this poses in terms of adopting suboptimal protocol upgrades that could lead to increased centralization. Philip encouraged a more structured dialogue around key topics such as censorship resistance to avoid hasty decisions that may undermine Ethereum's objectives.
6. UX Fenel: A Web 2 Mentality
Philip coined the term "UX fenel," critiquing the approach from Web 2 that prioritizes immediate user satisfaction and addictive engagement over meaningful interactions with the technology. He warned that chasing the next user experience metric detracts from true decentralization efforts, as it can lead to creating a user base reliant on centralized systems and processes, which is counterproductive to Ethereum's vision of freedom and decentralization.
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