gm - this week’s newsletter covers how crypto will contribute to a better world, the importance of self-custody and some excellent resources on zero-knowledge proofs that make this complex subject, easy to understand.
🌳 How crypto will build a better future
There are many issues that need to be solved in the world - climate change, false information and access to finance to name a few. Solving these problems requires 21st-century solutions as the current way of doing things doesn’t work. That’s what Gitcoin’s Kevin Owocki’s new podcast GreenPill is all about.
Kevin’s first guest is Ethereum co-founder, Vitalik Buterin, who discusses funding public goods, the ethos of Ethereum, how blockchain can contribute to building a better world and much more.
💰 Why self-custody matters
That’s the good, now for the bad. This week, Canada’s finance minister, authorized Canadian financial institutions to stop providing financial services to protestors, without needing a court order.
You don't need to agree with the truckers to worry how easily the government can seize your assets. It highlights the consequences of not owning your money.
Click here to read the full Twitter thread.
That’s why self-custody and decentralization matter. The person in control of your money should be you. And you shouldn’t lose access to finance because you disagree with the authorities.
🖥️ Learn about zero-knowledge proofs
Zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are used to prove something without revealing any other information. In blockchain, they’re being used to enhance personal privacy and to help scale Ethereum (zk-rollups).
Our Layer 2 partners - zkSync and StarkNet - both use ZKPs and we think they’re incredibly exciting. But we also know that they can be complicated. After all, how do you prove something without revealing any other information?
That’s why we want to share this video by Wired, where computer scientist, Amit Sahai, explains the concept of zero-knowledge proofs in 5 levels of difficulty.
If you prefer an article, read Packy McCormick's piece "Zero Knowledge" which makes understanding this complex subject, easy.
🎧 Our favorite podcasts & reads
This week's podcast is an episode of Unchained with Tom Robinson, co-founder of Elliptic, a blockchain analytics company. Discussed is the 2016 Bitfinex hack and how the US government managed to seize back the $3.6 billion worth of stolen Bitcoin this week.
Instead of recommending a couple of articles to read this week, we wanted to share 3 interesting Twitter threads that are full of excellent resources for you to explore:
- Dan Romero has just updated his Crypto Reading guide for 2021 & 2022 which is a catalog of the best readings about cryptocurrency. It starts with the Bitcoin whitepaper and covers the metaverse, tokens, DeFi and more. It’s essential reading for anyone getting started in crypto
- Bobbybanzai shares their list of quality tools and information sources from podcasts to newsletters to stay ahead of the crowd
- Nosleepjon over the past couple of weeks has been sharing the best long-form articles in crypto. They cover a broad range of subjects, like tokenomics, play-to-earn & the history of DeFi. Let us know what you read!
💥 Argent update
You can now hide your account balance and transaction activity from prying eyes in public or at events like ETH Denver. And if you’re an engineer attending ETH Denver - we’re hiring - reach out to us, we’d love to chat!
