Compiled by: Wu Says Blockchain
One of the most important social challenges in the Ethereum ecosystem is balance – more accurately, the integration of decentralization and cooperation. The strength of this ecosystem lies in the multitude of different individuals and organizations – client teams, researchers, Layer 2 teams, application developers, local community organizations – all striving for their vision of Ethereum's future. The main challenge is to ensure that all these projects can collaboratively build what appears to be a unified Ethereum ecosystem, rather than 138 incompatible little kingdoms.
To address this challenge, many in the Ethereum ecosystem have proposed the concept of 'Ethereum alignment'. This can include the alignment of values (e.g., maintaining open-source, minimizing centralization, supporting public goods), the alignment of technology (e.g., adhering to standards across the ecosystem), and the alignment of economics (e.g., using ETH as a token as much as possible). However, this concept has historically been vaguely defined and may pose risks of social control: if alignment merely means 'being with the right people', then the concept of 'alignment' has already failed.
To address this issue, I believe the concept of coordination should be made clearer by breaking it down into specific attributes that can be represented by specific metrics. Each person's list of metrics may differ, and the metrics may change over time. However, I think we already have some solid starting points.
Open Source - This has two important values: (i) the code is inspectable to ensure security; and more importantly, (ii) it reduces the risk of vendor lock-in and allows permissionless third parties to improve it. Not every part of every application needs to be fully open-source, but the core infrastructure components on which the ecosystem relies should absolutely be open-source. The gold standard here is the FSF's definition of free software and the OSI's definition of open source.
Open Standards - Strive for interoperability with the Ethereum ecosystem, and build based on existing open standards (e.g., ERC-20, ERC-1271, etc.) as well as standards under development (e.g., account abstraction, cross-L2 transfers, L1 and L2 light client proofs, upcoming address format standards). If you want to introduce a new feature that existing standards cannot adequately serve, please collaborate with others to draft a new ERC. Applications and wallets can be evaluated based on the ERC standards they are compatible with.
Decentralization and Security - Avoid trust points, minimize censorship vulnerabilities, and reduce reliance on centralized infrastructure. Metrics could include (i) 'retreat testing': if your team and servers disappeared tomorrow, would the application still be available? (ii) 'internal attack testing': how much damage would be done if your team attempted to attack the system? An important formal test is L2beat's rollup phase.
Positive-sum
Contribution to Ethereum - The success of a project should benefit the entire Ethereum community (e.g., ETH holders, Ethereum users), even if they are not part of the project's own ecosystem. Specific examples include using ETH as a token (thus enhancing its network effects), contributions to open-source technology, and commitments to donate part of tokens or revenue to public goods in the Ethereum ecosystem.
Contribution to the Wider World - The goal of Ethereum is to make the world freer and more open, enabling new forms of ownership and collaboration, and making a positive contribution to the important challenges humanity faces. Is your project making a difference in this regard? Examples include applications that bring sustainable value to a broader audience (e.g., financial inclusion), donations to public goods that extend beyond Ethereum, and technologies that can be practically applied outside of the crypto space (e.g., funding mechanisms, general computer security).
Ethereum Node Map, source ethernodes.org
Clearly, not all of the above applies to every project. The metrics applicable to Layer 2, wallets, decentralized social media applications, and other projects will differ significantly. Different metrics may also change in priority: two years ago, having 'training wheels' on Rollup was acceptable because it was still in the 'early stage'; today, we need to move into at least phase 1 as soon as possible. Currently, the clearest positive-sum metric is the commitment to donate part of tokens, which an increasing number of projects are practicing; in the future, we may also find other metrics to measure positive-sum aspects.
My ideal goal here is to see more entities like L2beat emerge, tracking the performance of various projects in meeting the above standards and other standards proposed by the community. The competition between projects will no longer be about getting along with the 'right friends', but about striving to remain as consistent as possible under clear and understandable standards. The Ethereum Foundation should maintain a certain distance from these activities: we can fund L2beat, but we should not become L2beat. Creating the next L2beat itself is a permissionless process.
This will also provide a clearer path for the Ethereum Foundation and other organizations (as well as individuals) interested in supporting and participating in the ecosystem to decide which projects to support while maintaining neutrality. Each organization and individual can make judgments based on the standards they value most and choose projects that align with those standards. This not only empowers the Ethereum Foundation but also allows others to be part of the incentive force that maintains project consistency.
Only when the definition of 'capability' is clearly established can it truly become a meritocratic system; otherwise, it is likely to turn into an exclusive and zero-sum social game. Regarding the concern of 'who supervises the supervisors', the best solution is not to rely on all influential people being 'angels', but rather through time-tested techniques such as the separation of powers. 'Dashboard-type organizations' like L2beat, blockchain explorers, and other ecosystem monitors are excellent examples of this principle in action within today's Ethereum ecosystem. If we can further clarify the coordination of different aspects without concentrating all power in a single 'supervisor', we can make this concept more effective and embody it in a fair and inclusive manner consistent with the goals of the Ethereum ecosystem.
