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SoP 2025 Town Hall

Talk Tim Beo, Benitesh Ralph, Timber

Tim Beo and Benitesh Ralph, directors of Summer of Protocols, present the 2025 program overview and explain the genesis of the initiative. Beo traces how the Ethereum Foundation became involved after realizing that existing mental models from software engineering and product development don't adequately frame protocol work, leading to a focus on protocols as a distinct category of technical and socio-economic systems.

Related resources

Talk

AI as Normal Technology

A speaker presents a paper proposing 'AI as Normal Technology'—an alternative framework to the superintelligence narrative that emphasizes social and institutional bottlenecks over technological progress alone, arguing that AI's transformative effects will unfold over decades similar to electricity and the internet rather than causing overnight disruption. The speaker challenges the conceptual coherence of 'superintelligence' as a framework, reframing the discussion around incremental technological integration and labor transformation.

cognitive-automation governance normal-technology

Benet (mentioned as prior influence)

Talk

Atoms, Institutions, Blockchains

Josh Stark from the Ethereum Foundation discusses the concept of 'hardness' and how blockchains create unique properties compared to other systems. He explores the relationship between atoms, institutions, and blockchains, examining what makes blockchain protocols special and how this framing applies to protocol research more broadly.

blockchains ethereum-governance governance

Josh Stark

Interview

Bridge Atlas - Episode 2: Paradigms | Nils Gilman and Josh Stark

Nils Gilman and Josh Stark introduce the concepts of 'hardness' and 'planetary thinking' as frameworks for understanding Ethereum and protocol design. Gilman, a historian trained in globalization theory, traces how planetary thinking evolved from modernization and globalization discourse, while the discussion positions these concepts as critical lenses for analyzing technological and governance systems.

bridge-atlas globalization-theory governance

Nils Gilman, Josh Stark