Can Arbitrum’s DAO Rise Above ‘Decentralization Theater?’

Power proved to be just as centralized as ever as Arbitrum’s first attempt at decentralized governance ended in community revolt. Plus: Cathy Hackl recaps Metaverse Fashion Week.

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ABOUT

On “Carpe Consensus,” hosts Ben Schiller, Danny Nelson and Cam Thompson get into the nitty-gritty of governance, from decentralized governance to U.S. regulation and enforcement.

[3:30] Inside the Desk: Danny recaps Ethereum layer 2 blockchain Arbitrum’s weekend DAO drama. If decisions are being made without the DAO’s consenting vote, is the organization really decentralized?
[13:43] Cathy Hackl: Metaverse Fashion Week 2023 was a mixed success. Cam and Cathy, founder and chief metaverse officer of Journey, discuss market factors, tech improvements and what’s next for digital fashion. You can listen to Cathy’s previous appearance on the show: “Where Do Metaverses Go From Here?”
[28:09] Ben gets a turn at his own segment with the “Schiller Show,” where he discusses CoinDesk’s decision to release an official editorial, “It Sure Looks Like the U.S. Is Trying to Kill Crypto.” The past months have seen increased politicization of crypto, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) recent calling for an “anti-crypto army.”

Join the most important conversation in crypto and Web3 at Consensus 2023, happening April 26–28 in Austin, Texas. Come and immerse yourself in all that Web3, crypto, blockchain and the metaverse have to offer. Use code CARPE to get 15% off your pass. Visit https://consensus.coindesk.com.

“Carpe Consensus” is executive produced by Jared Schwartz and produced and edited by Eleanor Pahl.

HOSTS

Dan Ilett

Dan Ilett writes on tech, money and energy. He advises business on digital strategy and technology messaging for large deals. He is founder of Erbut - an advisory company - and Greenbang - a smart technology research company.

Cam Thompson

Cam Thompson was a Web3 reporter at CoinDesk. She is a recent graduate of Tufts University, where she majored in Economics and Science & Technology Studies. As a student, she was marketing director of the Tufts Blockchain Club. She currently holds positions in BTC and ETH.

Danny Nelson

Danny is CoinDesk's managing editor for Data & Tokens. He formerly ran investigations for the Tufts Daily. At CoinDesk, his beats include (but are not limited to): federal policy, regulation, securities law, exchanges, the Solana ecosystem, smart money doing dumb things, dumb money doing smart things and tungsten cubes. He owns BTC, ETH and SOL tokens, as well as the LinksDAO NFT.

Benjamin Schiller

Benjamin Schiller is CoinDesk's managing editor for features and opinion. Previously, he was editor-in-chief at BREAKER Magazine and a staff writer at Fast Company. He holds some ETH, BTC and LINK.

Danny Bradbury

Danny Bradbury has been a professional writer since 1989, and has worked freelance since 1994. He covers technology for publications such as the Guardian.

EPISODES