Ethereum is expanding, and the variety of human involvement fosters resilience throughout the ecosystem. The Devconnect Scholars Program represents a modest initiative aimed at cultivating resilience through community diversity. Enhanced representation across human geography and demographics results in varied experiences and innovative perspectives that enable the Ethereum protocol to cater to the coordination requirements of all individuals, not merely a fortunate few. Improved representation – which contributes to a more balanced geographical distribution of Ethereum nodes, for instance – not only fortifies the security of the network, but we assert that it is essential in enriching our community and ensuring Ethereum narratives resonate with a broader audience.
The Scholars Program showcased 22 innovators at Devconnect Istanbul from communities that are presently underrepresented in Ethereum. This article emphasizes just a few of the Scholars and their journeys.
Meet the Scholars
Introducing Ovia, a blockchain researcher who examined Proof-of-Work blockchains as part of her doctoral studies. She actively participates in India’s Web3 community, notably through conducting technical workshops and empowering women and non-binary individuals at the Phoenix Guild. Ovia mentioned she departed from Devconnect with fresh ideas and potential collaborations to advance her ongoing work, in addition to experiencing several “fan-girl” moments while meeting some of her tech idols in person. You can discover her insights here: “Introduction to ZKVMs and Types of ZKVMs” and here: “Simplified moonmath behind ZKSNARKs.”
Introducing Elnaz, a Java backend developer from Iran who transitioned into smart contract development. Following her centralized exchange’s ban on her and individuals from certain nations, Elnaz delved into the Bitcoin and Ethereum whitepapers and found the decentralization concept “mind-blowing.” Reflecting on her community, where banking access is restricted and inflation is rampant, she expressed the need for more education on the pitfalls of centralized systems and the onboarding of individuals to decentralized networks. You can find her reflections here: “Enabling Low-Cost, Decentralized Micropayments on Ethereum Through Layer 2 Rollups.”
Meet Alphonce, a software engineer hailing from Kenya. Initially, he was attracted to cryptocurrency due to speculation, but his viewpoint shifted when he engaged in open-source projects within Ethereum and recognized its potential as a “powerful platform for fostering financial inclusion and innovation.” He expressed his desire to contribute to the blockchain ecosystem in Africa by reinvigorating the collaborative spirit and knowledge exchange from Devconnect. Continue exploring his insights here: “Reflections From DevConnect: Unveiling Opportunities for Financial Inclusivity with Ethereum.”
You can discover additional stories, insights, and learnings from more Scholars here.
What’s next?
In conjunction with efforts already underway within our community for enhanced representation, we aspire that the Devcon and Devconnect Scholars will contribute to expanding and enriching the Infinite Garden of Ethereum. For updates regarding future Scholars Programs and additional narratives, follow @EFNextBillion.