Diving in at the Deep End: My First Web3 Event at Devconnect Week and ETHAmsterdam
Goedemorgen and GM Etherverse!
I love remote, asynchronous work. It’s amazing to collaborate with a global team. However, being immersed in the energy and passion of hundreds of Web3 developers at a live event remains a uniquely incredible experience.
Live in Amsterdam
Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, a live ETH event is worth a thousand zoom conferences.
The electricity in the air was palpable and I instantly felt like I was part of something special. Seeing is believing and there was just a profound feeling of validation, being physically surrounded by other people who shared my passion for Web3.
The Old and the New
Amsterdam is a beautiful city. The medieval architecture and canals are rich with history and a feast for the eyes. I loved the juxtaposition of old and new in European cities. The architecture from the medieval period was beautiful and inspiring, and it felt like the perfect place for a renaissance of ideas for building the future of Web3.
Still No Flying Cars, but At Least We Get Rollups
This was the title of the Layer 2 Amsterdam Keynote and demonstrated the unofficial theme of the event: scaling Ethereum for a global audience. Ethereum is a victim of its own success and like all rapidly expanding platforms, it’s having some growing pains, such as increased transaction fees.
Zero-knowledge proofs, Rollups and Layer 2 chains like Polygon, Optimism, and Arbitrum were splashed across the schedule throughout the week.
Zero-knowledge proofs (sometimes called "moon math"), allow one party to prove that something is true to another party with the verification of a proof, rather than the first, verifying party having to compute it themselves. This is much more efficient and much less resource-intensive which helps with scaling the network.
Some interesting developments in the ZK space:
- Polygon acquired Hermez last year with their zkEVM solution and are working on a EVM that runs on the ZK-rollup network and is EVM-compatible (other organizations are also working on zkEVM solutions).
- Using Starknet and the Cairo programming language to build “DeFi 3.0”
- ZkSync 2.0 on testnet
Check out some of the L2 talks here:
- Layer 2 Amsterdam Day 1: https://streameth.tv/event/l2-amsterdam
- Layer 2 Amsterdam Day 2: https://streameth.tv/event/l2-amsterdam-2
- Solidity Summit: https://streameth.tv/event/solidity-summit
The Merge with Tim Beiko, Francesco Andreoli and Matt Nelson
I also got the chance to chat with members of the Ethereum Foundation and the Hyperledger Besu team about the state of the upcoming Ethereum merge and its impact on the ecosystem.
Some important themes from this video:
- Client Diversity and Robustness: More Ethereum client diversity and a wide set of L2s will make the network healthier, more scalable and more resilient
- Green Ethereum: Estimates indicate a 99.95% reduction in carbon footprint
- Equitable Participation: Ethereum emissions will be reduced by an order of magnitude and hardware requirements of a node will be much lower with proof-of-stake
- Seamless Transition: Testing via shadow forks, testing by Infura on Kiln and Sepolia and the Engine API will help to make the transition seamless for many dApp developers
Infura in particular has done a lot of work to minimize the impact of the Merge to developers on our platform. The current Ethereum API will be renamed as the “Execution Layer API” and the current Eth2 API will be renamed the “Consensus Layer API”. Other than naming changes, you will be able to leverage the JSON–RPC API in much the same way as you do today. If you have a special case that needs additional consideration, please reach out to your Customer Support Manager for help!
In addition to the above, it is worth noting that innovative programs such as the Protocol Guild will help to ensure equitable distribution of rewards for builders who help build on top of the Ethereum protocol. Read more about how The Protocol Guild distributes incentives.
Check out the full video: How the Merge will change Ethereum
Or watch the whole series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrJWE9beMSg&list=PLcLEZJlCz-cpITsAqUzXHRLRZ8ZNGxU2E
Now, If You'll Excuse Me, I Have an After-Hackathon Party to Attend
Some of the best networking opportunities happen at blockchain side-events. Why? Because the Web3 ecosystem moves fast. Really fast! So, sometimes it’s best to rely on the Brownian motion of crowds and serendipitous meetings of the mind to pick up on the trends and vibes in the space. Who knows who you’ll meet!
Seen in Amsterdam on local Heineken bottles.
I personally got to meet with members of the Protocol team at ConsenSys, with whom I don’t normally get much interaction. This was great!
Have You Booked Your Ticket Yet?
Personal connections are just as important as code in the evolution of Web3. There are so many tangible and intangible benefits to attending a live ETH event. The energy, the swag, the knowledge-sharing, the stickers, the POAPs and the new connections are great. However, even more than that, there is a certain “je ne sais quoi” about live events that leave you feeling empowered, motivated and reinvigorated in your passion for the space.
If you ever have a chance to attend an event, I highly recommend it. Please reach out to me on Discord, Twitter, or LinkedIn if you are attending an event and would like to connect!
Join the ETH Global community to learn more!
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