The ideas behind Ethereum in the words of its founder, describing a radical vision for more than a digital currency—reinventing organisations, economics, and democracy itself in the age of the internet. At only nineteen years old Vitalik Buterinpublished a visionary paper outlining the ideas behindwhat would become Ethereum. He proposed to take whatBitcoin did for currency – to end the central control ofgovernments and corporations – and apply it to societyas a whole. Now, less than a decade later, Ethereumis the second-most-valuable cryptocurrency and hasopened the gates for the extraordinary new world ofNFT artworks, virtual real estate in the metaverse anddecentralised autonomous organisations.The essays in Proof of Stake reveal Buterin as a lively,creative thinker, relentlessly curious and adventurousin exploring the fascinating social, economic and politicalpossibilities of his invention, and will guide futuregenerations of Ethereum’s community of radicalsand builders.
