S3 Ep. 10 Ethan Buchman – Why Blockchain should be plural: Cosmos and Inter-Blockchain Communication

Ethan Buchman is the co-founder of the Cosmos network and serves as the CEO of Informal Systems. Informal Systems is a member-driven worker’s cooperative building software that enables trustworthy relationships between protocols and people to flourish. Ethan also serves as the President of the Interchain Foundation which funds and coordinates development of public goods in the Cosmos ecosystem.

Tune in to this discussion as we explore the current ‘moment’ blockchain is experiencing and the implications of having a community computer. We also discuss the personal computer revolution, polycentricity, and how Informal Systems is organized to enable their employees to self-organize.  

A full transcript of the episode can be found on our website: https://boundaryless.io/podcast/ethan-buchman/ 

Key highlights we discussed:

> Where blockchain fits in with the the history of computing

> The concept of embedded cooperativism

> The role of sovereignty and multi-chain interoperability 

> Standardization and commodification

> How individuals can participate in structural change

> How Informal Systems is structured through a high trust environment and ‘promises’

To find out more about Ethan’s work:

> Twitter: https://twitter.com/buchmanster 

> Website: https://ebuchman.github.io/     

Other references and mentions:

> Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation, 1944: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Transformation-Political-Economic-Origins/dp/080705643X 

> Informal Systems: https://informal.systems/

> Informal Systems Twitter: https://twitter.com/informalinc 

> Informal Systems’ internal organisation: workflow.informal.systems   

> Cosmos: https://cosmos.network/ 

Find out more about the show and the research at Boundaryless at https://boundaryless.io/resources/podcast/

Thanks for the ad-hoc music to Liosound / Walter Mobilio. Find his portfolio here: https://boundaryless.io/podcast-music

Recorded on 16 February 2022.