Is the Merge Priced In? The Ethereum Proof-of-Stake Merge looms around the corner, but how do the markets feel about it? Ryan Berckmans and Hal Press have a mutually bullish discussion about the Ethereum network today, tomorrow, and long-term. They're both bullish ETH, but differ on how it's going to play out. This is our favorite kind of debate.  ------ 📣 Chainlink | Register for SmartCon 2022 with promo code “BANKLESS” https://bankless.cc/smartcon  ------ 🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER:          https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/   🎙️ SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST:                 http://podcast.banklesshq.com/   ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS:  🌱 LENS | ACCESS CODE: VITALIK https://bankless.cc/Lens 🚀 ROCKET POOL | ETH STAKING https://bankless.cc/RocketPool ⚖️ ARBITRUM | SCALING ETHEREUM https://bankless.cc/Arbitrum 🦁 BRAVE | THE BROWSER NATIVE WALLET https://bankless.cc/Brave 🌉 JUNO | BRIDGE FIAT TO LAYER 2 https://bankless.cc/Juno ⚡️ ZKSYNC | THE LAYER 2 SCALING ENDGAME https://bankless.cc/zkSync ----- Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 7:00 Hal & Ryan Thesis 18:28 The Merge is Happening 23:30 A Crowded Trade 29:23 Risks and Catalysts 36:10 Structural Significance 41:40 Blockspace Demand 46:40 Real vs Nominal Return 50:30 Miners vs Validators 56:00 Proof of Stake Wins 59:00 Store of Value 1:09:45 The Flippening 1:18:00 Price Predictions ----- Resources: Hal Press  https://twitter.com/NorthRockLP Ryan Berckmans https://twitter.com/ryanberckmans ----- Not financial or tax advice. This channel is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This video is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research. Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here: https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/bankless-disclosures 

This conversation has been a long time coming. Polynya is a pseudonymous writer, investor, and crypto researcher.  Polynya coined the term “modular blockchain” and has been influential on 100 different crypto topics, most notably on rollups, though they’re quick to point out that rollups are no longer their main focus.  This is a unique episode, in which Bankless DAO’s Eureka John acts out Polynya’s voice based on a 5-hour text-based discord interview. Tune in as we explore Polynya’s fascinating mind, covering their broad crypto thesis, EIP-4844, and the future of Ethereum Scalability. ------ 📣 Forta | Help Make Web3 a Safer Place https://bankless.cc/Forta  ------ 🚀 SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER:          https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/    🎙️ SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST:                 http://podcast.banklesshq.com/    ------ BANKLESS SPONSOR TOOLS:  🌱 LENS | ACCESS CODE: MINTME https://bankless.cc/Lens  🚀 ROCKET POOL | ETH STAKING https://bankless.cc/RocketPool  ⚖️ ARBITRUM | SCALING ETHEREUM https://bankless.cc/Arbitrum  🦁 BRAVE | THE BROWSER NATIVE WALLET https://bankless.cc/Brave  🌉 JUNO | BRIDGE FIAT TO LAYER 2 https://bankless.cc/Juno  ⚡️ ZKSYNC | THE LAYER 2 SCALING ENDGAME https://bankless.cc/zkSync  ------ Topics Covered: 0:00 Intro 9:00 Polynya the Anon 13:45 Polynya IRL 20:05 Cautious Optimism 25:35 Polynya’s Crypto Thesis 29:58 Accruing Value at the L1 31:54 Bitcoin vs Ethereum 33:30 Alt-L1s and Decentralization 35:10 Everything is Finance 38:10 Layer 2 Value Capture 41:33 Rollups vs ETH 45:30 Increasing L2 Demand 47:40 Layer 2 Tokens 52:45 A Symbiotic Relationship 56:08 Cosmos and Alt-L1s 58:45 App-Specific Chains 1:00:30 All Just Chains and Bridges 1:02:14 Why Cardano Rocks and Sucks 1:04:23 Cults and Tribalism 1:05:20 Changing Crypto 1:06:54 Changing the World 1:07:35 Polynya’s Message 1:08:30 Thank You Polynya ------ Resources: Polynya on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apolynya?s=20&t=4Cws8vmOo7v2mRmI8mGyfw  Polynya’s Writing: https://polynya.medium.com/  Modular Blockchains: https://newsletter.banklesshq.com/p/ultra-scalable-ethereum  Eureka John: https://twitter.com/EurekaJohn1?s=20&t=ws5GNZKUSZtegsJQkvcuAg  ----- Not financial or tax advice. This channel is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This video is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.