Welcome to @cdixon.eth, a multi-time founder and GP at a16z crypto. I've known Chris for a decade and he was one of the first investors to get crypto. He also just released his new book "Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet". He’s kindly agreed to do an AMA. Reply with your questions. :)
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what motivates you
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Scalability has been a persistent challenge for blockchain networks. How do you evaluate projects that claim to solve scalability issues, and what indicators do you look for to determine if a solution is truly scalable on a global level? Are there any examples you can share?
FoundersWhat's your favorite blog post you've written?
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Did you shop / discuss some of the ideas in this book on Farcaster before final version ?
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What did you learn from the process of writing and publishing Read Write Own?
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What are you trying to do to get this into the hands of cryptoskeptics and not just cryptonatives?
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if most decentralized network technologies like the phone and the internet ultimately became centralized, how can we prevent that this doesn't happen to web3?
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How do you see L1 adoption playing out in the long run? Will it follow an 80/20 rule where EVM takes the majority and the rest compete for a fringe second place, or do you expect it to be much more fragmented because of eventual chain abstraction and end users not knowing what chain they’re dealing with?
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What book do you find yourself returning to again and again?
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How can we make purchasing this book with crypto/USDC happen? @jessepollak @barmstrong @coinbase commerce?
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What's the biggest mistake crypto builders have made over the last 18 months?
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testing this out (feel free to pick any of these): https://fc-threads.vercel.app/thread/05b8aad1-2336-4e56-acbd-490dc3044ef8
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What do you see as the biggest threats to your vision of the next era of the internet? How can those threats be mitigated?
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I heard in an interview that you changed Kevin Kelly's mind about web3/crypto. Did he elaborate on what exactly flipped the switch?
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hey Chris, are LLMs (chatGPT etc) tools or networks?
FoundersDo you have any "ones we missed" that became highly successful protocols/companies?
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What do you think is the biggest obstacle to crypto mass adoption?
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What are the best arguments from skeptics or critics to your thesis as a steelman? What is your mitigation or counter to these arguments?
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i got the book this morning! what chapter/subject took you the most time (or was the most difficult) to write/formulate?
Founderswhat is your favourite computer or internet history book?
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Welcome! What do you think about most of the time these days?
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it is very frustrating to see USA citizens be locked out of many DeFi protocols. what is the strategy to change this. who is leading this effort?
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Would you please select any one of my notes I’ve taken and answer / or reply wherever you see value. https://warpcast.com/les/0x657c7f0d
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Is your book worth reading for a crypto user?
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What will it take for adoption to occur in conservative industries (i.e, healthcare)?
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What does a good "crypto VC" do differently (if anything) from a good VC?
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Hey @cdixon.eth thank you for doing this! What do you consider your greatest achievement to date?
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As a builder it FEELS like the entire U.S. political establishment is against crypto, sans a few people on the fringes. What does it Feel like, when you are deep in the regulatory work? Does crypto have more support than it seems from the outside?
Foundersvitalik has mentioned that his main worry about the future of ethereum is stagnation: https://warpcast.com/vitalik.eth/0xea65fa6b are you worried about stagnation in crypto before we get to mass adoption?
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We've seen a LOT of negative/positive unintended consequences emerge from the web2 era. What do you see as some of the biggest potential unintended consequences in the next era of the Internet?
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What was your single, biggest aha moment that there is "something" here?
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Did think about or institute any way to attach the act of buying the physical Read Write Own to someone's Eth address? Maybe using EAS?* *working on this
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how do you see the standardization of Points and Algorithmic Points playing out in 2024 in web3?
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Hi Dan! Thanks for having me. Let's go... :)
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In your interview with Mike Solana you discuss your view of the future internet in 5 years and how just a few apps will dominate/isolate everything. Which blockchain use case excites you most in relation to potentially reorganizing this oligarchy of apps?
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Hey Chris, excited to attend the panel discussion tonight! If you had to guess, what will the fourth generation of the web be about? What might be the title of the sequel to this book?
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What’s your process for coming up with simple, clear taglines like “come for the tool, stay for the network”, “the next big thing will start out looking like a toy”, etc?
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If I only had time to read a single chapter of your book, where should I start?
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Does web3/crypto need a rebrand in order to go mainstream? Or can The Good outpace the (real and manufactured) negative associations?
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How would you describe the book to non-technical and non-finance background youth in conversation? And why it’s possibly worth their time to read
FoundersHow do you think we win the perception war with Web2 Creators + Fans about NFTs?
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where do you think frames can succeed where early web2 open graph attempts failed? what might we want to avoid as a community/product embracing frames?
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What about the world today is roughly the same as it was a decade ago, that you wouldn't have expected? (maybe exclude a low-hanging answer like "not enough crypto apps")
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What most surprised you about the process of writing a book?
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How do you think crypto in general can address the bad reputation it may have with upcoming generations and outsiders?
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Hi Chris, thank you for an excellent book w/ RWO. If you were a 22/23 yr old today and entering Web3 full-time, how would you be spending your time/ what would you be focusing on?
Founderswhat's the worst thing about having generational wealth? cc: @cdixon.eth
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What ideas do you find most excited to see being built by developers in the short term?
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What is the best use case of the ownership layer in your opinion if you have to narrow it to one only?
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What is your philosophy to invest in any crypto business
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Did the process of writing the book change your thinking about blockchain networks and the future of the web in any way?
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What’s your advice for teenagers and youth who want to get into crypto and start helping to build the next internet?
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What’s something (industry, idea, internet subculture) that’s low status now that you believe will be high status in in 5-8 years?
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What’s a big decision you’re thinking through right now?
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I appreciate the book because it reminded me of why I joined the blockchain space. Where do you think the blockchain space will evolve in the next five years?
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Glad to see you on podcasts, etc last few days. Now that the book is out, do you plan to be more vocal/visible again?
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What’s the weirdest future thing or two that you find uncomfortable if true?
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since twitter is read/write and farcaster is more read/write/own in terms of being a permissionless protocol that's sufficiently decentralized, what single twitter feature would you replicate to get people to jump from twitter to farcaster full time? and you cant say community ; )
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Of all the industries web3 will impact (healthcare, banking, agriculture, music, etc.), which do you feel will be impacted/disrupted the most in 2024?
FoundersIf you kept building Hunch for all those years what would it look like today?
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What's the strongest argument against "Crypto is the next generation of the Internet"?
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The creator economy is an important narrative of Web3. What is your perspective on the issue of NFT markets allowing traders to freely choose royalties?
FoundersWith lower token rates and more value accruing to the edges (builders, creators, users), how do you think VC backed companies can reach venture scale value? How do exits look in this scenario? Especially given that IPOs have influenced companies to become more controlling and increase take rates (when they can).
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What have been the most unexpected developments and the biggest letdowns in the crypto space over the past 2-3 years?
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Do you think frames could power $billion companies like Facebook Apps did before FB rugged everyone?
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hey @cdixon.eth, thanks for doing the AMA and congrats on the book launch. what DAOs or other democratized ownership mechanisms from the last few years are the most inspiring to you?
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What is your elevator pitch for all of this? When I tell people I work in Web3, they assume Im just trading imaginary internet money all day. What is your 1-2 sentence explanation for when your friends ask what you do and why?
FoundersDo you have a mental model of what should be progressively decentralized and open sourced vs what should stay closed and centralized for a for-profit consumer product in the space? In other words, what are the new moats when we break apart the traditional big tech moats (data, networks)?
FoundersOne of the first podcasts that @brileigh and I listened to was your web3 mental models episode with @rsa and @trustlessstate. It helped us zoom out from the price frenzy and better understand why crypto is important. What is your go-to elevator pitch for crypto skeptics and how has it changed over time?
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Did you gave a copy to Tim Oreilly, whom is crypto sceptic?
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It's clear that you're a huge open source/public goods proponent. Given this, how do you reconcile your stance with managing an investment portfolio, particularly when faced with decisions where an investment might yield high returns but would be more beneficial to society as a public good?
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What are some of your favorite networks from the golden era of the internet?
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What's the role of blockchain / web3 tech in a world where AI systems are fully pervasive and influence in every part of our lives (more so than they do now)
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@cdixon.eth it's clearly social media & gaming alone (likely social) that will onboard the next 100m+ ppl into Blockchain/Web 3 What unique insights or approaches do you think best facilitate that beyond conceptual ideas data ownership & censorship resistance is enough Do you think anything financial, external, etc
FoundersIn your experience, which idea and existing product has been more successful in changing people's mind (especially silicon valley web2-type folks) about the blockchain space?
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What main argument in your book do you think is most likely to be wrong?
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Q1: How do you think about Derek Edws thesis (https://twitter.com/derekedws/status/1622592476266766337) about storing value in digital objects, and that certain categories of digital objects (generative art, 1/1 art) may be used to preserve wealth in the same way we see it happening in the contemporary art space today?
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How do you envision web3 analytics tools evolving to support the aforementioned principles from your book, and what new types of data do you believe will be most crucial for businesses to track in this new era?
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Hi @cdixon.eth thank you for doing this! What’s your most contrarian view at the moment?
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What does your morning/night routine look like?
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Do you see the future of blockchains as permiating all software or only money apps?
FoundersRecently I read Fred's article on business models in web3. I wonder if you agree and, alternatively, what business models you're paying attention to in the new paradigm of Read/Write/Own to building sustainable businesses?
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For someone relatively new to web3, how would you navigate the book? Just got through the intro on Audible
FoundersHow did you choose the epigraph for the book? Did you have it from the beginning or did inspiration come to you while writing? It's - chefs kiss - perfect
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What is one good old idea that we should try again on top of a decentralized protocol?
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What is your view on Bitcoin, Eth, Solana in 3 years?
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What would you suggest any founder to focus on the most? especially in crypto?
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@cdixon.eth what‘s the story behind your pfp? It‘s awesome.
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How many layers of abstraction (and which parts need to be abstracted) of web3 infrastructure do we need in order to bring in the next wave of users who can take advantage of the proposed benefits without having to suffer from the friction of early adoption?
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Do you believe that tokens (or crypto in general) will disrupt the securities market? Or is it another "Linux on the Desktop" dream that sounds logical but won't happen?
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What are the nerds doing at night and on the weekend at the moment (other than crypto)?
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What's your most non-consensus view or prediction about crypto?
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Hey Chris! What are the industries that will be disrupted the most by the ethereum ecosystem in 2024?
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hi Chris! what's your key takeaway(s) from the last two years of progress in web3 space?
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What’s an assumption or idea that changed while you were writing the book?
FoundersHey Chris, do you ever see digital identities like ENS being more relevant than your government issued ID?
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Thanks for saying on CNBC that the demise of NFTs has been greatly exaggerated :) Are you personally collector of NFTs as fine art?
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As blockchain ecosystems mature, how will this affect the perceived visibility of 'crypto' in our applications? Will users know that they are using crypto/blockchain apps?
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What do you think is the biggest difference between investing in crypto in '24 vs when you started?
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How annoying was that hard fork conversation lollllll
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Thanks for your writing, I’ve got some reading to do! Now how about owning some (onchain) Girl Scout cookies? 🍪 https://cookiecaster.xyz/order
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Why did you choose to study philosophy as a 18 year old? If you were to go back, would you still study that? And related, what type of philosophy do you think helped you better understand tech/markets?
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I find it hard to focus on one thing as development is at its peak. Every day, you find something interesting, and there is an urge in me to deep dive. Do you feel like this often?
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if you died tomorrow, what album would you take to the otherside?
FoundersI find it hard to focus on one thing as development is at its peak. Every day, you find something interesting, and there is an urge in me to deep dive. Do you feel like this often?
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As a VC investing in web3, do you see any tension between the control that VCs and similar large investors might gain as they invest into web3 projects, and the decentralized ideals of web3?
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what are the hardest problems crypto founders and operators need to solve right now?
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no questions, just excited to dig in and share w/ friends thanks @cdixon.eth for building this
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Yeah, but can you get him to read his book on audible? I can’t stand the guy’s voice on there now.
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If you were 20 today what would you build?
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- Do you perceive any significant damage done by VC activity in terms of sabotaging emergent creative growth vectors? - Is "Progressive Decentralization" dead? Is 'points' its lifetime achievement?
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I just finished watching the Unchained episode; very interesting! You say in it something to the effect that no one could predict the level of centralization in web2. Do you think that we will do better with web3? Centralization seems like a force that just keeps happening over and over across all systems
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Big Tech is full of folks with Crypto Derangement Syndrome, but they are also the gatekeepers: they own the browsers, the operating systems, and the governance of the standard bodies (IETF/W3C/WHATWG). How do you see crypto breaking out through all these barriers?
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Advice for young people today looking to start a career in technology?
FoundersWhat are some protocols you think more people should know about?
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What are the goals that Ethereum/web3 space must achieve to survive in the next fiv, ten years?
FoundersCaught your PirateWires interview and was surprised to hear you describe the US govt as omnipotent. My hope/bias is that the open nature of blockchain tech eventually overcomes government and establishment resistance - like the printing press. Do you think US govt truly poses an existential threat to blockchains?? 😳
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What do you think it'll take to see more AI agents interacting onchain?
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Which of the following do you agree with, and why - we already have the killer usecase of crypto i.e. AMM/DEX/DEFI - the killer usecase is in the future
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which consumer crypto apps are you already excited about, and which ones do you use daily/weekly/monthly?
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What keeps you going? And how best do you address the problems of life?
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How do you stay hungry when you’re full? (A question I pinched from Tim Ferriss)
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What if I was a good person and still ended in hell?
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@cdixon.eth how will VC as an industry change in the next decade?
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What are your favorite non financial use cases of blockchain?
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Having been around for a while - what were your holy shit moments for web1, web2 and now web3? Is there a thread connecting these 3 moments.
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Hey @cdixon.eth! Heard you on Pirate Wires yesterday and enjoyed the episode. How do you stay an optimist in a time when everything seems stacked against the space you work in?
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The book is available in India only from today - I bet I’m the first one to order it !
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Late to game but worth a shot. From your journey through web1 to web2 and now web3. What thread/next step are we missing that brought adoption for web1 and/or web2?
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What do you think about real world assets tokenization?
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Most places I look in the crypto ecosystem I see claims of decentralization but hidden centralized control. What protocols do you think have most effectively decentralized and where do you see hopeful experiments in this space?
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