The annual event known as Ethereum Denver returned last week, as a tribe of crypto faithful descended upon the rodeo grounds of Colorado’s largest city to geek out about the world’s second most popular blockchain. Unlike the noisy religious revival feel of Bitcoin gatherings, the vibe at Ethereum events is more akin to a tech-infused folk festival. This year’s conference was subdued compared to previous ones that coincided with to-the-moon market rallies but, contrary to the image of a forsaken hellscape tweeted by digital artist Beeple, it had plenty of energy and some heavy hitters—SEC Chair Paul Atkins among them.
This edition of Ethereum Denver also comes at a time when the blockchain is trying to show it can cut it in the world of traditional finance. While Ethereum has been integral to many blockchain trials by big banks, Wall Street has repeatedly tried to develop its own alternatives—ones with fewer ties to the traditional crypto community. And in recent months, it has been trying to do so again.
This is reflected in a debate that has flared up over privacy on the blockchain and led JPMorgan Chase, Visa and other big financial incumbents to experiment with Canton, a blockchain not built on Ethereum. The crypto community, meanwhile, sees a different privacy tool called ZKsync, which sits on Ethereum architecture, as the better choice.
