THE PROTOCOL: Ethereum's Whispered Woes and Crypto's Influencers—For Better or Worse?

A censorship issue plagues blockchains, notably within the Ethereum network, where 72% of blocks are crafted by validators filtering transactions linked to a sanctioned program known as Tornado Cash. This episode is sponsored by Consensus 2024 Follow the show here for more. In this installment of "The Protocol," hosts Brad Keoun, the founding editor of The Protocol Newsletter, and tech journalists Sam Kessler and Margaux Nijkerk, explore the following stories: Censorship on Ethereum is Becoming a Problem Four of the five biggest "block builders" on Ethereum are excluding transactions sanctioned by the U.S. government, data shows. Bitcoin Mining: CENSORSHIP OR 'SPAM FILTERING?' Opinions are divided in the Bitcoin community over the efforts by a new mining pool called Ocean, guided by the feisty developer Luke Dashjr and backed by Block Inc.'s Jack Dorsey, to weed out NFT-like transactions the project characterizes as "spam." Columbia CryptoEconomics (CCE) Workshop 2023 This two-day workshop brings together practitioners, researchers, and academics to discuss challenges, recent progress, and opportunities in the economics of blockchain protocols. PROTOCOL VILLAGE SEGMENT CoinDesk’s Most Influential of 2023 Fifty people who defined the year in crypto. EPISODE LINKS | Ethereum's 'Censorship' Problem Is Getting Worse Bitcoin Inscriptions Divide BTC Community Amid Network Congestion, but Are 'Unstoppable' Jack Dorsey Aims to Create Anti-Censorship Bitcoin Mining Pool With New Startup Hot from Columbia University Crypto Economics Most Influential 2023 by CoinDesk Sign Up for THE PROTOCOL NEWSLETTER From Our Sponsor: CONSENSUS 2024 by Coindesk Secure your $109 Developer Pass today and join us in Austin May 29-31 to explore the epicenter of blockchain innovation at Consensus. This is where the top blockchains show off their latest advancements, share their detailed roadmaps, dive deep with technical workshops and forecast the next wave of innovation. Don’t wait! These passes are limited. Learn more and register: https://consensus.coindesk.com/register/developer/ - The Protocol has been produced and edited by senior producer Michele Musso and our executive producer is Jared Schwartz. Our theme song is “Take Me Back” by Strength To Last. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.