Proof of Stake

At just nineteen, Vitalik Buterin published a visionary paper outlining the ideas behind what would become Ethereum. He aimed to take what Bitcoin achieved for currency—ending central control by governments and corporations—and apply it to society as a whole. Less than a decade later, Ethereum became the second-most-valuable cryptocurrency and paved the way for NFT artworks, virtual real estate in the metaverse, and decentralized autonomous organizations.

The essays in Proof of Stake present Buterin as a lively, creative thinker, relentlessly curious and adventurous in exploring the social, economic, and political possibilities of his invention, offering guidance for future generations of Ethereum’s community of radicals and builders.