TLDR
- Vitalik Buterin and Xiao Feng co-founded the Ethereum Applications Guild to foster collaboration within the Ethereum ecosystem.
- The guild aims to move Ethereum from an infrastructure phase to an application-driven era.
- The initiative is based on the Shanhaiwoo experiment, which focused on cross-disciplinary work in AI, crypto, and public goods.
- Vitalik Buterin and Xiao Feng emphasized the need for long-term developers to focus on Ethereum’s application development.
- The Ethereum Applications Guild invites a wide range of stakeholders, including research institutions and Layer 2 teams, to join the effort.
Vitalik Buterin, co-founder of Ethereum, has partnered with Xiao Feng, CEO of HashKey Group, to launch the Ethereum Applications Guild (EAG). The initiative, announced on October 2 at Token2049 in Singapore, aims to shift Ethereum from an infrastructure-focused phase to an application-driven era. The goal is to accelerate the development and deployment of native Ethereum projects, driving innovation in the ecosystem.
Ethereum Guild Aims to Build Co-Creation Framework
The Ethereum Applications Guild serves as an open framework to promote collaboration across the Ethereum ecosystem. Its primary mission is to build a structured co-creation mechanism for developers. The guild seeks to address the current lack of public goods funding and large-scale applications on Ethereum.
The initiative draws inspiration from Shanhaiwoo, a collaborative experiment launched by Xiao Feng in 2023. Shanhaiwoo brought together global builders in various locations, such as Beidahu, China, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. This initiative aimed to foster cross-disciplinary work in AI, crypto, and public goods.
Buterin Urges Developers to Focus on Applications
Buterin and Feng have framed the Ethereum Applications Guild as a critical turning point for Ethereum’s application layer. “This is a pivotal moment for the application layer of Ethereum breaking out of its shell,” said Xiao Feng. He compared the current stage of Ethereum to the early days of the commercial internet, which witnessed rapid application growth in the mid-1990s.
Vitalik Buterin echoed Feng’s sentiment, emphasizing the need for long-term builders to focus on Ethereum’s application development. He encouraged developers to anchor their projects within Ethereum to help push the ecosystem beyond its current infrastructure phase. According to Buterin, this shift is essential for Ethereum to achieve its full potential.
The launch of the Ethereum Applications Guild is a call for diverse stakeholders to contribute. The guild has invited treasury groups, research institutions, Layer 2 teams, and protocol foundations to join the effort. The goal is to establish a comprehensive, bottom-up coalition that promotes long-term growth for Ethereum.
