Good morning and happy Tuesday!

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of things to do and prepare for in the worlds of blockchain and media! One of those necessary preparations was for my week in Denver, Colorado at the ETH Denver conference.

Cletus and I are here for the entire week, learning and making as many connections as we can. The editions will likely be short this week due to the many events and follow-ups that we are attending, but I am making it my goal to get you the best headlines of the morning and give you some updates from the conference.

Hint: If you thought blockchain was just a fad, you are in for a major surprise in the next few years.

-Wally

Key Stories

Speedrun

• ETH Denver Updates

• On This Day

• Headline Palooza

• Decent Destination

ETH Denver

2 Days In, 4 To Go

I’m at ETHDenver with Cletus, the COO of CryptoLink, and it's crystal clear from the start that there are some massive trends everyone's talking about in 2024.

The event kicks off with a hackathon, a creative frenzy where devs code projects on the fly for a shot at prizes. Amidst this coding marathon, presentations are shedding light on the cutting-edge of blockchain. Yet, three topics are stealing the spotlight.

First off, the buzzword bingo winner: Interoperability. Call it Cross-Chain, Omnichain, or whatever suits your fancy, but it's the future, no doubt. The era of chain loyalty and isolated blockchains is on its way out. Protocols are emerging left and right, aiming to weave these chains together, crafting a seamless user experience. It's a wave that's only going to swell, and hey, not to toot our own horn, but CryptoLink.Tech is riding the crest of this wave. For anyone keen on diving into omnichain, you might want to keep an eye on what we're cooking.

Then, there's the hot topic bound to dominate discussions this year: Zero Knowledge Proofs (ZKPs). If you thought they were just a blip in 2023, think again. In just a couple of days, Cletus and I have been bombarded with talks on ZKPs, from their potential in seed phrase recovery to creating networks that are both mutable and secure. One of the coolest ideas is to ditch the old-school "write your 12-word seed on a piece of paper" method for something more... 21st century. Imagine recovering your crypto through an email or a trusted buddy, thanks to ZKPs. That's the level of user-friendly we're aiming for.

And let's not forget about the elephant in the room: UI/UX. The blockchain world is making leaps towards being more intuitive, more 'normal internet'-like. The goal is to demystify crypto for the average Joe, making it as easy as browsing your favorite online store. We had the chance to chat with Tim Allard, a veteran in blockchain UI/UX, who's worked on projects for giants like Disney. He's all about crafting blockchain experiences that users can enjoy without even realizing they're on the blockchain. That's the ticket to mainstream use.

Two days in, and it's evident: the builders haven't left the space. The expo hasn't even started, and the place is buzzing with developers. The vibe is slightly reminiscent of the days of 2021, early 2022. We're on the cusp of a blockchain spring, with real, tangible innovations on the horizon. From user experiences to financial systems, the future seems to be on the way soon.

On This Day

1951: Americans Get the 22nd Amendment

The 22nd Amendment was ratified, putting a cap on presidential terms at two. Considering the current political climate, the idea of anyone sticking around the Oval Office for over 8 years seems as likely as finding a bipartisan agreement on just about anything. After all, FDR's marathon presidency feels like a relic from a bygone era, much like dial-up internet or a respectable legislature & executive.

Headline Palooza

Decent Destinations

Paro Valley, Bhutan

Paro Valley in Bhutan is the real-world answer to the mythical Shangri-La, cradled in the heart of the Himalayas. This hidden gem, with its monasteries and misty mountains, feels like stepping into a secret only a few know about. It's the kind of place where you'd half expect to unlock ancient mysteries, or at the very least, find some inner peace away from your buzzing phone notifications.