ICANN is Not the Enemy: How to Befriend the Open Source Standards Bodies

While creating neutral, censorship-resistant tech has always been an Ethereum ideal, my younger self thought that accompanied a total deconstructing of existing institutions. A decade later I've watched the opposite prove true. Ethereum is earning its place as core financial infrastructure by working with open source standards bodies. ENS could have minted TLDs on its own authority; instead we support the single DNS root and contribute to ICANN technical working groups. GLEIF, the G20's post-2008 business identity body, is bringing verifiable company IDs onchain. SWIFT is bringing bank IDs onchain. Coinbase gave x402 to the Linux Foundation. Each of these coalitions run on mutual interest because no competitor wants to adopt a standard another competitor owns. I'll share what actually works when pitching Ethereum, like unlearning our jargon, leading with their risk instead of our ideals, and being honest about what our infrastructure can and can't do.

Speakers: James Beck

Track: Open & Verifiable Stack