We couldn’t miss EthCC 7, nor the chance to chat with Vitalik Buterin about Ethereum’s status quo as an L1 amidst the plethora of L2s competing for market share, and what challenges will most likely arise along the way (e.g. staking decentralisation). Tune in for a captivating discussion on the importance of decentralisation as a last stand of human empowerment in the current geopolitical context and how it could positively impact AI's trajectory.  Topics covered in this episode: Types of Ethereum ‘hardnesses’ (sic)The L1 status quoStaking decentralisation & block buildingNon-financial crypto applicationsAccount abstraction & interoperabilitySolana & Bitcoin ecosystemsDeSci, biotech & longevityGeopoliticsEthereum nation state?The impact of AIDo not go gentle into that good nightEpisode links: Vitalik Buterin on TwitterEthCC on TwitterEthereum on TwitterSponsors: Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - gnosis.ioChorus One: Chorus One is one of the largest node operators worldwide, supporting more than 100,000 delegators, across 45 networks. The recently launched OPUS allows staking up to 8,000 ETH in a single transaction. Enjoy the highest yields and institutional grade security at - chorus.oneThis episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture & Brian Fabian Crain.

It is one thing to invest in early stage companies, but to do so in a nascent industry that constantly reinvents and rediscovers itself is a whole different venture. Richard Muirhead co-founded Fabric Ventures in 2012 around the thesis of supporting the Open Economy. While at first this meant investing in Bitcoin-related projects, once Ethereum was announced, a new horizon unveiled, filled with tremendous potential. Since then, the Open Economy thesis was adapted to match technological breakthroughs, and it is now centered around artificial intelligence, distributed computing and self sovereignty (over both fungible, as well non-fungible assets). Topics covered in this episode: Richard’s background and how he founded a crypto VCFabric Ventures’ thesisHow the AI thesis evolvedUser-generated AIOn-chain autonomous agentsUpcoming DeFi innovationsWeb3 trends that took Richard by surpriseMissed opportunitiesThe impact of crypto liquidity & market cycles on VC investingHow to vet projects in early investment phaseEpisode links: Richard Muirhead on TwitterFabric Ventures on TwitterFabric VenturesSponsors: Gnosis: Gnosis builds decentralized infrastructure for the Ethereum ecosystem, since 2015. This year marks the launch of Gnosis Pay— the world's first Decentralized Payment Network. Get started today at - gnosis.ioChorus One: Chorus One is one of the largest node operators worldwide, supporting more than 100,000 delegators, across 45 networks. The recently launched OPUS allows staking up to 8,000 ETH in a single transaction. Enjoy the highest yields and institutional grade security at - chorus.oneThis episode is hosted by Sebastien Couture & Friederike Ernst.