The lack of an explicit governance mechanism has created deep problems for Bitcoin. Ethereum, with the DAO-related soft/hard-fork discussions, may face similar challenges ahead. Yet, already in 2014 Arthur Breitman quietly started working on cryptocurrency network Tezos that has an explicit mechanism to let coinholders vote on protocol upgrades. Our discussion with Breitman centered around how explicit governance could lead to a more secure and evolutionary protocol. We also discussed Tezos' approach to smart contract that tries to prevent bug-riddled and insecure smart contracts such as the DAO which has thrown Ethereum into a deep crisis. Topics covered included:Why stakeholders voting on forks can prevent consensus attacksThe mechanics of Tezos' governanceHow an upgrade mechanism could allow Tezos to rapidly and radically evolveWhy the programming language in which smart contracts are written is crucial for securityWhy a functional language that allows formal proofs such as OCaml is more suited for smart contracts than Ethereum's solidityThe road ahead for Tezos Links mentioned in this episode: Tezos websiteTezos position paper [PDF]Tezos whitepaper [PDF] Sponsors: Jaxx: Wallets that Unify the Blockchain Experience Across Devices jaxx.ioGTEC: Blockchain Innovation Award epicenterbitcoin.com/gtec Show notes YouTube SoundCloud Epicenter Bitcoin is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, S?ƒbastien Couture & Meher Roy.Visit our websiteSubscribe to our newsletterTwitter