Gavin Wood is British computer scientistknown as one of Ethereum founders Programming language creator hardness. Currently it is Chief Architect and Founder of Parity Technologiesa company that develops blockchain and Web3 infrastructure, including the platform Dotteddesigned to connect multiple blockchains and facilitate large-scale decentralized applications. He is one of the most influential voices in the cryptocurrency and Web3 ecosystem.
In an interview with LA NACION, Wood offers a beer and reflects on the big challenge the sector faces: moving from basic infrastructure to products that can be used by millions of people.
In many countries, including Argentina, cryptocurrencies are considered synonymous with financial protection or investment rather than as the visible face of the technological revolution. Do you agree? Are you concerned that the original spirit of blockchain and decentralized organizations is being diluted in markets and speculation?
– It is not something that generates satisfaction or optimism for me. This does not give me a feeling of “mission accomplished,” but I see it as a necessary stage of the journey. Just as a boy must learn that fighting at rest is usually of no benefit to him—even if he does it at the age of five or six—and in time pass on to things more compatible with his interests and those of society, so I believe that human beings will follow a similar course as we become acquainted with the tools of the coming social age. And these tools – Bitcoin, blockchain, Web3, cryptocurrencies – are just that: tools for the next phase of society.
– It has been ten years since the Web3 model appeared. You say it’s the tool of the future. Do you feel we are getting closer to this ideal? Is there still a lot? When will this future arrive?
-When does the future come, right? People thought it would arrive very quickly. If you look at the 1990s and what most social and political thinkers wrote techieThey believed that the Internet would give rise to this new information society almost immediately. But it turns out that it takes time. Society is made up of people, and for there to be social change, people must adopt new technology.
First you have to build platforms and products. Bitcoin was very basic, and Ethereum showed a potential platform, but it was not ready for mass daily use. It only works if it’s a small number Geeks They can exchange “digital cats,” but people cannot use them to buy bread.
Moving tens or hundreds of millions of people takes time. Before using an app, people should understand why they are using it. This requires education, which can come from good reasons – such as school – or bad reasons, such as wars or economic crises. I think Argentina is more educated in the reasons behind using this technology than countries like Norway or Switzerland.
– Are you saying this is because of macroeconomic instability? Ironically: Could a place like Argentina embrace this idea faster?
-completely. But even if people understand why it’s important, the product has to be there. No one wants to waste time with obscure technology; This is for Geeks. We, the human-minded technologists, must take the infrastructure and turn it into real products. This can only be done when the underlying technology is ready for many people. Many ecosystems don’t have this foundation: they fail with tens of thousands of users. At Parity, we’ve been building that base layer for ten years. Even if we had apps True, without infrastructure everything would be slow and unusable. We’ve now entered an exciting phase: building products where you can get them comment Immediately from users.
– How do you see the local cryptocurrency community? What do you think about Argentine developers and the ecosystem?
– I’m really passionate about the Argentine community. Some of our best at Parity comes from here. We want more cooperation, maybe a subsidiary, maybe more hiring. Buenos Aires has always seemed to me a young place, eager to develop. There is real energy here, much more than in Europe. In Europe I see frustration; I see in Buenos Aires a youthful atmosphere, less affected by this frustration.