Ethereum Papers book chapter
Ethereum Papers
In 1776, Thomas Paine wrote “the cause of America is, in a great measure, the cause of all mankind.” The nation has never fully lived up to its promises and it probably never will, but the idea itself was a good one. It was the idea that there would always be a seat of power, and that seat must be occupied, but it did not have to be held by a single man or family. Instead, a place could exist where “Law is King.”
Regardless of how you feel about America’s past and present, and what ideals it is worthy of holding the torch for, we should have a backup plan. And the truer that plan is to the spirit of “all mankind”, the better. Because there is a place that takes in all and welcomes all and pretty much treats everyone the same and that is the internet, not the platforms on top of it, but that basic thread of freedom that ties it all together. Ethereum is for the people of the internet. It extends that thread and lets us weave together little patches resistant to manipulation and control.