Ethereum, which went live a decade ago, brought programmability and composability to the technological innovation sparked by Bitcoin in 2009. Cointelegraph's new mini-documentary, "The Fight for Ethereum's Soul," delves into the future of this pioneering smart-contract blockchain protocol. The documentary surfaces at a crucial time, exploring the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for Ethereum as it navigates an increasingly competitive landscape of next-generation layer-1 blockchains.
Cointelegraph traveled to EthCC in Cannes to engage with some of the most insightful minds in the Ethereum community. These conversations form the backbone of the documentary, which aims to capture the current state of Ethereum and its potential future. The documentary features interviews with key figures such as Tomasz Stańczak, co-executive director of the Ethereum Foundation (EF), Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon, and Jerome de Tychey, president of Ethereum France. Lorien Gabel, co-founder and CEO of Figment, Fredrik Haga, co-founder and CEO of Dune Analytics, Marc Boiron, CEO of Polygon Labs, Samantha Yap, co-founder and CEO of YAP Global, and Tom Vieira, head of product at Base, also share their perspectives.
Ethereum has dramatically evolved over the past decade. A key milestone was the shift from a proof-of-work (PoW) to a proof-of-stake (PoS) consensus algorithm, likened to replacing a car engine while driving. This transition, known as "The Merge", fundamentally changed how the protocol functions, moving away from Bitcoin's computationally intensive hashing to a system that requires staking.
However, the documentary also highlights a growing demand for accountability from the Ethereum Foundation. Builders and ETH holders are increasingly questioning the decision-making processes within the Ethereum ecosystem. Some community members express concern that decisions are being made behind closed doors, leading to a lack of transparency and potentially driving talented developers away from the platform. This has led to some talent bleeding into other ecosystems like Solana.
Despite these challenges, Ethereum remains a dominant force in the blockchain space. The price of Ether (ETH) is still a crucial factor for the community, impacting everything from community building to network security. The documentary explores whether Ethereum's core principles and technological advancements can spark a comeback and maintain its leading position.
Meanwhile, a separate documentary, "Vitalik: An Ethereum Story," offers an intimate look into the life of Vitalik Buterin, Ethereum's co-founder, and the evolution of the platform. This film, part of the "Ethereum Stories" initiative, chronicles Buterin and Ethereum's community as they strive for an open internet. The documentary incorporates interviews with Buterin, his parents, and other figures in the tech world, tracing Buterin's journey from childhood to the launch of Ethereum. "Vitalik: An Ethereum Story" premiered theatrically in 23 countries and is available for streaming through a token-gated website, with plans for broader streaming availability in 2025. The film raised 1,036 ETH (approximately $2.6 million) in a crowdfunding effort, marking it as the largest documentary crowdfund to date.
