Some History

Blockchain technology emerged with the publishing of the Bitcoin whitepaper in 2008, introducing a decentralized ledger system that promised transparency and security without intermediaries.

Today, everyone has heard about Bitcoin. Back in 2012, when I first encountered it, I was exhilarated. The idea was mind-blowing. Just imagine: someone proposes an ever-growing ledger—a chain of blocks—secured not by a central authority but by solving complex mathematical puzzles. It challenged everything I knew about limits of where you can aim in regards of system design.

At the time, the world was reeling from the economic crisis, and Bitcoin seemed like a direct response to the bailouts of big banks and the erosion of trust in financial institutions. It was inspiring to see the possibility of reclaiming control over the monetary system.

I initially believed that this technology would revolutionize consumer finance. I eagerly awaited the advent of micro-payments, thinking they would empower individuals and small businesses in unprecedented ways. However, the technology wasn’t ready to support such applications at that moment. By around 2015, disillusioned by the slow progress and unmet expectations, I stopped following the industry.

In 2018, another hype cycle caught my attention. I discovered Ethereum and its programmable blockchain, which reignited my interest—though perhaps not as intensely as before. The concept of a world computer that was public, permissionless, and allowed anyone to build whatever they wanted felt incredibly fresh and full of potential.

This was especially striking given my experience working at a large, traditional Web 2.0 company. Engineering there felt more like assembling off-the-shelf components than innovating. We spent our days selecting tools and piecing them together, with true innovation and creativity mentioned only in passing during all-hands meetings.

Yet, even in 2018, I wasn’t completely convinced. The conversations were dominated by price speculation, and the practical consumer applications I longed for were still absent. The technology was fascinating but slow, and I found myself engaging only superficially, sharing “to the moon” memes without deeper involvement.

How I started learning again

When my daughter was born, I found myself spending a lot of time walking with a stroller, listening to podcasts, and thinking about various topics. I listened extensively to discussions about the technology being developed in blockchain. For the first time, I heard about zero-knowledge succinct proofs, rollups, scalability solutions, quadratic voting, etc.

I listened Bankless podcast, read Vitalik’s blog and followed Polynya on Twitter.

I also listened to podcasts about the history of the internet.

One day, when I was searching for a recipe for fried chicken, I realized how many banners and other SEO clutter there are for just three paragraphs of actual useful information. GDPR was supposed to solve privacy issues but only contributed to the bloat of the web outside of big tech players. It was four years before ChatGPT gained adoption and solved this problem a little bit.

The attention economy started to turn ugly. People discuss the impact of social media on elections in certain countries, mental health, and overall productivity.

And then things clicked in my head. The internet came out of a military structure. You don’t need a commercial layer in the military. In the ’90s, it developed quickly. We are lucky that Netscape decided that encryption is important and browsers have SSL now. But the financial layer was missing, and it led to the attention economy approach we are in now.

Transforming all services into paid ones seems implausible; people have grown accustomed to free content. But what if there were a way to facilitate microtransactions seamlessly? Projects like Brave’s Basic Attention Token have attempted this, indicating that solutions are on the horizon.

Generally, people aren’t opposed to paying for value—they just want the process to be effortless. Remember how music piracy dwindled when the iPod and Spotify made accessing music convenient and affordable? While I won’t go into the moral debates about commodifying art, these developments give me hope that a middle ground is achievable.

These realizations reignited my passion for blockchain. I began to see it not just as a technological advancement but as a potential remedy for the systemic issues plaguing the internet. It became clear to me that blockchain could play a pivotal role in creating a more equitable and user-centric digital landscape.

Why I Decided to Start Working in Blockchain

I’ve been a web developer since 2014 and have been in the industry since 2012. My last two years at Booking.com weren’t that exciting from a professional standpoint. My role didn’t present significant challenges beyond chasing constantly shifting product decisions. This seemed normal for big-tech companies with an established product-market fit—they’ve passed their rapid growth phase and are focused on consolidating their position. It’s just a different approach to risk-taking.

However, I began to feel that web development was becoming more like shopping than engineering. You select a database, pick a message queue, choose a caching system, decide on a Java or Go framework, glue them together, and then continuously tweak them. There was little room for true innovation or creativity.

I grew tired of Java. Debugging the thousandth NullPointerException in 2020 felt outdated and unproductive. Golang didn’t seem much better to me, because despite being relatively new language some of its design decisions. People often say, “Language is just a tool; you need to use the right tool.” But I noticed that while “developer productivity is important,” there was a reluctance to take risks and challenge the status quo.

I have a habit of trying a new programming language every year. In 2018, I explored Haskell, which was a fun and enlightening experience. In 2019, I dove into Rust, and it was just so much fun. Yes, it takes time to learn, but once you get the hang of it, productivity increases significantly.

At my current job in 2024, I’m able to refactor in a week or two what would have taken several quarters in Java. Of course, this is my personal and subjective estimation, but it highlighted for me the efficiency and joy of working with Rust.

All of this led me to conclude that my next role should be in blockchain development using Rust. Initially, I had some doubts and considered Golang as an option, but I decided to stick with the vision I had. I wanted to be part of an industry that was innovative and challenging, and I believed that blockchain and Rust offered exactly that.

How I got there.

Transitioning into the blockchain industry took time. I didn’t have experience either in blockchain or in Rust.

Recognizing this, I devised a strategy to overcome these hurdles. My approach was to reduce my salary expectations and showcase my transferable skills. I knew how to program and design complex software systems. Over the years, I’d developed a keen intuition for technical decisions, having worked in a range of companies—from startups of three people to large organizations.

And I was willing to put in the effort.

I completed a blockchain course on Udacity, which provided me with hands-on experience using industry tools and helped me understand what companies are doing in this space.

It’s widely known how the recruiting process typically works—you need to tick the boxes and have formal professional experiences. But I hoped to find a place that valued potential and willingness to learn over strict qualifications.

Fortunately for me, [Consensys](Consensys didn’t conform to the usual processes yet. They were creative and flexible in their approach. My interview process was not entirely standard. It included the classic pair programming session, but the final stage was unique—it involved preparing a presentation on “What are rollups.”

This kind of assessment allowed me to dive deep into a specific topic and demonstrate my genuine interest. For them, it provided insight into my enthusiasm and ability to grasp complex concepts. These are qualities that are hard to quantify with traditional interviews but offer significant value.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that my cat made an unexpected appearance during a Zoom call. Apparently, people couldn’t resist the feline charm.

So, I started working on a prototype of what later became Linea. I learned a lot; Consensys has many talented people who are eager to share their experience and engage in productive discussions.

This opportunity not only allowed me to apply my existing skills but also to immerse myself fully in the blockchain world. It confirmed that pursuing a career in blockchain was the right decision for me.

Controversy

There’s downside to any decisions, and this is not an exception.

This industry has a bad reputation due to its association with criminal activities, environmental concerns, and inefficiency.

Some people even dedicate entire websites to cataloging blockchain failures, like Web3 Is Going Just Great. While I personally don’t think this is productive, it’s a reflection of the scrutiny the industry faces in our free society.

I’m not going to defend these negative aspects; the monetary focus does attract certain types of people. However, that doesn’t negate the technical achievements being made. I don’t believe blockchain is inherently more harmful than the advertising platforms we all use daily. We enjoy free services, but often it’s better to pay explicitly to avoid hidden costs to our privacy and well-being.

When I started my professional career around 2012, I felt that fresh excitement of something new being developed. The same familiar narratives were present back then—for example, people saying, “A real website does not need JavaScript; it’s a waste of resources.” Yet, JavaScript became integral to modern web development, enabling richer user experiences.

It doesn’t feel nice to experience how people project their prejudices onto you, and this is something to be aware of. If complying with societal norms is extremely important to you, working in this industry might be challenging.

No real use case.

I often hear that blockchain has no real use case, and I won’t pretend this criticism is baseless. But let’s consider whether it’s entirely true:

  • Ownership and Authorization Beyond Company Lifecycle: I once had a robot vacuum cleaner that stopped working because the manufacturer was sold, and it couldn’t authorize itself anymore. Similarly, the Dutch bicycle company VanMoof went bankrupt, and there was a real threat that their smart bikes would be bricked, leaving owners stranded. If only there were a public, permissionless layer that could verify ownership via a cryptographic key, users wouldn’t be dependent on the company’s survival.

  • Critical Internet Infrastructure: The Domain Name System (DNS) is controlled by centralized entities, making it vulnerable to censorship and attacks. Blockchain can offer decentralized alternatives that enhance security and resilience. Projects like Filecoin and the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS) demonstrate how data storage and naming can be decentralized.

  • Identity and Reputation Systems: In the age of generative AI models, issues like fake accounts and identity fraud are escalating. Sybil resistance—the ability to prevent a single entity from creating multiple fraudulent identities—is crucial. Blockchain-based identity systems can help establish trust and authenticity online, enabling more secure interactions.

Of course, the counter-argument that existing services “work fine” is still prevalent. But consider this: regular mail in the early 20th century was highly efficient, arguably more so than the first computers. Yet, technological advancements propelled us forward, leading to innovations we now consider indispensable.

These examples illustrate that blockchain has real, tangible use cases that can address current shortcomings in our digital infrastructure. Dismissing it outright overlooks the potential for significant improvements.

What I believe

I think that the key to a fulfilling professional career is aligning it with your values.

For me, the ownership of personal data is paramount, and I believe cryptography is the tool that can ensure it. In a world where data is the new currency, controlling our own information is more important than ever.

Protocols are more enduring than products. While social media platforms come and go every few years, foundational technologies like email and HTTP have stood the test of time. They form the backbone of the internet we rely on daily.

I grew up in the 90s, experiencing an internet not yet dominated by big corporations. It wasn’t as ergonomic or safe, but it was unfiltered and open, and I value that freedom. I believe blockchain technology is the missing piece in transforming the internet to be truly free and open again. Commodifying essential platforms like finance and e-commerce is a necessary step forward, democratizing access and reducing centralized control.

Privacy is another core value for me. The “I have nothing to hide” argument only holds until the political system in your country functions properly. I’ve lived in Russia until 2017 and experience this transition myself. History shows that bad periods come from time to time, and it’s prudent to have protections for your basic rights. Personal privacy should not be a luxury but a fundamental aspect of our digital lives.

Blockchain has already begun to connect the real world to the virtual. Even though I think that Proof of Work—the consensus mechanism that requires computational effort to validate transactions—is not the best solution due to its environmental impact, it has expanded our understanding of how real and virtual worlds can be bound trustlessly.

I believe that now there’s an opportunity to turn things for the better. I chose to act on it and be part of the change, rather than retreat to cynicism and accept the status quo.

By being here I feel that I gain more despite all downsides of blockchain and software development in general.

What future holds

It is not given that free societies we have now will hold test of time.

We might end up in deliberatly built panopticon. More on this in my favourite philosphy podcst, episode 121

Privacy vs. “Fighting Terrorism”

I live in Europe, where privacy is highly valued. This commitment to individual rights is something I deeply appreciate. However, it often comes into conflict with efforts to “fight terrorism,” creating complex challenges that are difficult to navigate.

Imagine the following situation: terrorists use an online platform for coordination. After they’ve completed their planning, they request complete data removal from the platform under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which grants individuals the right to have their personal data erased. The platform complies and deletes all the data. Later, a terrorist attack occurs, and it becomes evident that they collaborated via this platform. Does this mean the platform inadvertently helped terrorists cover their tracks?

This dilemma illustrates the tension between upholding privacy rights and ensuring security. It raises critical questions about how we can protect individual freedoms without compromising public safety. I believe that with the right technologies we can find a balance that respects privacy while enabling accountability.

Blockchain is not necessarily Bitcoin, a public, immutable and transparent ledger. There are Monero, Zcash, Penumbra and other protocols that center privacy while keeping immutability intact.

I’m not aligned with the libertarian side of the blockchain cypherpunk movement, which often advocates for minimal government intervention and complete decentralization. I believe that government can be functional and, with collective effort, can serve the public interest effectively. My stance is more focused on opposing corporate exploitation, particularly the parasitic practice of selling personal data without consent. I advocate for a free market complemented by reasonable regulation that safeguards individual rights.

By leveraging cryptography, we have the opportunity to create systems that uphold privacy and security simultaneously. This approach aligns with my belief that we can innovate responsibly, fostering an internet that respects individual freedoms while maintaining societal safety.

It’s one of the reasons I’m enjoying working in the blockchain industry—because I see its potential to address these critical issues.

Why I am still here

Because I want to attempt to have a real impact in the area I value.

Because I enjoy the people and vibes here. I ignore all the hustlers and grifters but enjoy visionary people.

It is easy to be cynical and bitter. But in my experience, being deliberately optimistic yields better results.

Yes, we all might end up being wrong.

But non-determinism of success is part of the journey.