Bridge Atlas Episode 3: Commons

Issue #70: A conversation with Yancey Strickler and Trent Van Epps

Welcome back to another episode of Bridge Atlas, a video podcast series hosted by Christine D. Kim. In this episode, we discuss Ethereum through the lens of the commons with two Summer of Protocols alumni: Trent Van Epps and Yancey Strickler.

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Christine: Trent, can you start us off with an intro. What’s your background?

Trent: Sure. My background is in architecture and design, but I got pulled into Ethereum a few years into my career because I’ve always been fascinated by systems. I now work at the Ethereum Foundation on protocol coordination – that means managing changes to Ethereum’s core software, coordinating releases, and engaging stakeholders. One of my main projects is Protocol Guild, which is a collective funding endowment for about 200 core contributors working on Ethereum’s foundational protocols.

Christine: Yancey, how about you?

Yancey: I’m a writer and entrepreneur. I co-founded Kickstarter and led it as CEO, started The Creative Independent, and more recently, I’ve been working on Metalabel – a studio for group projects and tools, both onchain and offchain. I’m also involved in Artist Corporations, which is a project to create new corporate structures for creatives, and Dark Forest Operating System, which is about private internets for groups with shared space and resources.

Christine: It sounds like both of you have taken unexpected paths into your current work. Yancey focuses on creative commons, Trent on Ethereum commons. Trent, can you define “Ethereum commons” for us?

Trent: I think of commons as systems for shared production and management of resources over time. Open-source software, like Ethereum, is a shared resource requiring governance and trade-offs. Ethereum fits into the “digital commons” category – a shared resource producing digital goods. The goal is to distribute value widely, but there’s always a risk of capture by capital interests, which can make these resources less “magical.”

Christine: Yancey, do you see parallels with the creative commons?

Yancey: Definitely. Creative commons rest on public goods like music theory, colors, and cultural building blocks. Standards like Creative Commons licensing are vital, because if standard-setting is left to commercial actors, you risk a race to the bottom. Managing commons well requires daily care – it’s easy to let things degrade, and hard to restore them once they do. Ethereum has an advantage over centralized Web2 platforms because its public goods are more resilient and not dependent on a single decision-maker.

Christine: But neither Ethereum nor creative commons sustain themselves automatically – they need tools and innovations. Yancey, you’ve focused on “labels” as a way to organize creative work. Why?

Yancey: Online culture is very individualistic – everyone builds their own following, which makes you compete with the people who are most like you. But independent record labels historically created alignment between artists: if one succeeded, others benefited. Labels amplify and invite others in, creating a shared credibility and a scene. That’s mostly disappeared online. With Metalabel, we’ve been building tools for group treasuries, revenue splits, and decision-making, so people can collaborate more effectively. It’s about creating alignment and shared identity.

Christine: Trent, does that resonate?

Trent: Yes. Labels have both social and very practical benefits – pooled payments, marketing, representation. In Protocol Guild, when we unite 200 contributors, we gain legibility. Funders can see the collective impact, which makes them more willing to commit resources, like through our “1% pledge” initiative. This kind of collective representation wouldn’t be possible for individual contributors alone.

Christine: Capital is a big part of sustaining commons. Trent, in a previous talk of yours, you didn’t take a firm stance on whether capital harms or helps commons. Has your view changed?

Trent: Not really – it depends on context. Capital from a multinational with strings attached is different from capital managed transparently by peers. You can’t avoid dealing with money because people need to live. The challenge is doing it in a way that preserves the commons’ integrity.

Christine: Yancey, your thoughts on the impact of capital?

Yancey: Money has huge influence, but the real driver in any project is whether it’s interesting enough for people to commit their time. Local capital can help; outside capital can distort incentives. Sometimes outside funding is the only option, but it comes with tension. Ultimately, the desire to participate is the most important currency.

Christine: That reminds me of Nadia Asparouhova’s book Working in Public, about the thankless nature of maintaining open-source projects. Money helps, but it’s complicated.

Trent: Exactly. Ethereum started as an ideological project, and intrinsic motivations still drive many contributors. Protocol Guild’s goal is to make funding a non-issue so people can focus on what brought them here.

Christine: Crypto tools like ICOs made it easy to bootstrap projects and directly connect with audiences. But Yancey, you have said that crypto isn’t fully mature for creatives. Still true?

Yancey: Yes. I think crypto’s future is as backend infrastructure – stablecoins integrated into mainstream finance. Creators will be consumers in that system, but things like “creator coins” are alienating to many artists. Financializing yourself is a big cultural leap that most creative people don’t want to make. The DeFi toolkit is exciting to crypto folks but off-putting to most artists.

Christine: That’s interesting – Protocol Guild wasn’t built by DeFi experts either. Trent, how do devs feel about being exposed to the speculative side of crypto?

Trent: Mixed feelings. Each wave of crypto innovation – ICOs, DAOs, NFTs, prediction markets – attracts speculation, and that’s what gets public attention. Core devs believe in the tech’s potential but often dislike how it’s used. Still, there are valuable kernels in these ideas that could mature into better models.

Christine: That leads us to the question: are Ethereum’s ends aligned with its means? How could it better align?

Yancey: Honestly, I’m not sure what Ethereum’s ends are. My guess is it’ll succeed as a new layer for internet money, making some people rich, but without replacing existing power structures. The revolutionary dreams might not materialize.

Trent: I’m more optimistic. The real unlock is governance – DAOs managing value among distributed parties. We’re seeing early legislative recognition of onchain organizations. That’s promising long-term.

Christine: Yancey, tell us more about Artist Corporations.

Yancey: They’re a new corporate form for creatives, blending LLC flexibility with cooperative and IP-ownership features. Groups could pool for healthcare, hold shared IP, and scale up or down. We’ve started a nonprofit to pass laws enabling them and to educate creatives on governance and finance.

Christine: I think Ethereum’s “ends” are still up for grabs. The protocol is malleable now, but it’s heading toward ossification. Different stakeholders, from corporates to creatives, can influence its trajectory – but the window is closing. There’s no single feature that will “fix” things for artists; it’s about keeping Ethereum accessible, cheap, and permissionless while scaling and preserving its unique values.

Trent: Yes – amidst all the speculation, valuable projects will emerge over time. The key is to maintain Ethereum’s core values against commercial pressures. We want it to be dependable infrastructure, like a natural commons, shaped by humans but resilient against turmoil.

Yancey: Agreed. Ethereum should be trustworthy, stable, and conservative in governance – focusing on making its core incredibly strong. That’s the only way to think long-term.

Trent: Some criticize Ethereum’s slow pace, but that’s part of ensuring it lasts. We see it as infrastructure for millions – maybe billions – and want it to operate consistently and dependably for generations, like ecological software maintained by people who care.

Christine: That’s a great note to end on – ambitious, but with clarity about what the Ethereum commons is and what it’s building toward.