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S.1 Ep.2 “Tech as Governance” Is a Lie? Angela Walch on Power, Protocols & Emergencies
In this episode of The Governance Futures Podcast, Eugene Leventhal & Jamilya Kamalova speak with Angela Walch about the promises and pitfalls of replacing failing institutions with technologies like crypto and AI.
Angela discusses the collapse of rule of law, the myth of “tech as governance,” and the limits of algorithmic solutions to political problems. Together, we explore how protocol systems assign roles that shape our behavior - and what Web3 emergencies reveal about where power really lies.
Angela Walch is an independent researcher and writer. She writes the Angela Walch publication on Substack, and was a core researcher in the Ethereum Foundation’s inaugural Summer of Protocols program in 2023. Her most recent work is The Protocol System Experience, which provides a conceptual framework for human rule systems of all kinds.
Angela was a Professor of Law at St. Mary’s University of Law from 2012 - 2023. Her research has focused on blockchain governance, decentralization, systemic risks, blockchain language, and the intersection between these areas. Her work on blockchains as financial market infrastructure, the operational risks of open source software governance, the role of software developers as fiduciaries of public blockchains, and the role of miners as intermediaries has been foundational to the field of cryptoeconomic systems, and is recognized internationally.
Angela has advised policy makers and regulators around the world, including the Federal Reserve, the White House, the Bank of England, and the BIS, and has testified before the US Senate Banking Committee. Her research has been featured in The Economist, Bloomberg, Wired, Coindesk, and more.
Angela's work and publications we mention in this episode:
* “Blockchain Emergencies & Open-Source Software Governance: Is ‘Rough Consensus’ a Suicide Pact?” (2021) https://commons.stmarytx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1631&context=facarticles
* Substack Note on Governance and Protocols https://substack.com/@angelawalch/note/c-106330495
* "The Fundamentals of Protocol Systems” (2023) https://summerofprotocols.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/The-Fundamentals-of-Protocol-Systems-Angela-Walch.pdf
Listen to this episode on all platforms:
- Apple : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov-futures-trailer/id1823028614?i=1000714675608
- Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/6QRkrWmq21Z66jRJtN2UIu
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Gov_Futures
- Follow us on X: https://x.com/gov_futures
00:00 Teaser and Introduction
02:10 Setting the Stage
02:20 Institutional Collapse and Tech's Role
03:04 Skepticism Towards Tech Replacing Institutions
05:56 Misconceptions About Technology
09:09 AI and Crypto Governance Challenges
12:59 Roles and Perceptions in Governance Systems
22:02 Decentralization and Power Dynamics
23:52 Emergency Responses and Governance Legitimacy
31:39 Addressing Conflict of Interest in DAOs
34:17 The Mythology of Governance Systems
38:17 Handling Emergencies in Crypto and Beyond
44:05 The Role of Emergency Response Groups in Web3
49:39 Building Robust Governance Systems from Scratch
55:15 The Importance of Funding Basic Research
58:38 Quick-Fire Quiz and Conclusion
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By Governance Futures PodcastIn this episode of The Governance Futures Podcast, Eugene Leventhal & Jamilya Kamalova speak with Angela Walch about the promises and pitfalls of replacing failing institutions with technologies like crypto and AI.
Angela discusses the collapse of rule of law, the myth of “tech as governance,” and the limits of algorithmic solutions to political problems. Together, we explore how protocol systems assign roles that shape our behavior - and what Web3 emergencies reveal about where power really lies.
Angela Walch is an independent researcher and writer. She writes the Angela Walch publication on Substack, and was a core researcher in the Ethereum Foundation’s inaugural Summer of Protocols program in 2023. Her most recent work is The Protocol System Experience, which provides a conceptual framework for human rule systems of all kinds.
Angela was a Professor of Law at St. Mary’s University of Law from 2012 - 2023. Her research has focused on blockchain governance, decentralization, systemic risks, blockchain language, and the intersection between these areas. Her work on blockchains as financial market infrastructure, the operational risks of open source software governance, the role of software developers as fiduciaries of public blockchains, and the role of miners as intermediaries has been foundational to the field of cryptoeconomic systems, and is recognized internationally.
Angela has advised policy makers and regulators around the world, including the Federal Reserve, the White House, the Bank of England, and the BIS, and has testified before the US Senate Banking Committee. Her research has been featured in The Economist, Bloomberg, Wired, Coindesk, and more.
Angela's work and publications we mention in this episode:
* “Blockchain Emergencies & Open-Source Software Governance: Is ‘Rough Consensus’ a Suicide Pact?” (2021) https://commons.stmarytx.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1631&context=facarticles
* Substack Note on Governance and Protocols https://substack.com/@angelawalch/note/c-106330495
* "The Fundamentals of Protocol Systems” (2023) https://summerofprotocols.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/The-Fundamentals-of-Protocol-Systems-Angela-Walch.pdf
Listen to this episode on all platforms:
- Apple : https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gov-futures-trailer/id1823028614?i=1000714675608
- Spotify : https://open.spotify.com/show/6QRkrWmq21Z66jRJtN2UIu
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Gov_Futures
- Follow us on X: https://x.com/gov_futures
00:00 Teaser and Introduction
02:10 Setting the Stage
02:20 Institutional Collapse and Tech's Role
03:04 Skepticism Towards Tech Replacing Institutions
05:56 Misconceptions About Technology
09:09 AI and Crypto Governance Challenges
12:59 Roles and Perceptions in Governance Systems
22:02 Decentralization and Power Dynamics
23:52 Emergency Responses and Governance Legitimacy
31:39 Addressing Conflict of Interest in DAOs
34:17 The Mythology of Governance Systems
38:17 Handling Emergencies in Crypto and Beyond
44:05 The Role of Emergency Response Groups in Web3
49:39 Building Robust Governance Systems from Scratch
55:15 The Importance of Funding Basic Research
58:38 Quick-Fire Quiz and Conclusion