From co-ops to crypto

You came back! That warms my writerly heart. If someone forwarded you this email, definitely thank them - they just get your wonky sensibility. Then, if you’re so inclined, become a subscriber. 👉 One more thing before we get into it - if Untangled arrives in your Promotions tab, consider moving it to your Primary tab. If you do it once, our algorithmic overlords will take it from there. And now, on with the show. This issue of Untangled is a little different - I made a podcast, y’all 🙌. You can listen to it on Substack or wherever you get your podcasts. As you might recall, this month I wrote about decentralization and how power operates in crypto. Then I spoke with law professor Angela Walch about one interesting albeit imperfect solution: treating software developers as fiduciaries. To round out this series, I wanted to dive deep into crypto governance. Is it adding to the concentration of power or helping to democratize and diffuse it? Are there models that actually lead to more equitable outcomes? How do the economic incentives of any crypto project constrain or shape its governance?I'm thrilled that Nathan Schneider joined me on today's episode to discuss these questions. Nathan is an Assistant Professor of Media Studies at the University of Colorado Boulder. He is the author of many books and papers, including, most recently a paper called "Cryptoeconomics as a limitation on governance." I highly recommend it.In our conversation, Nathan:* Defines cryptoeconomic governance and outlines its possibilities and limitations.* Discusses what co-ops and crypto projects have to learn from one another.* Shares his perspective on how crypto governance can invigorate democracy.If you like the episode, please do all the things to make it go viral - share it, review it, and rate it. I hope you’ve enjoyed the first monthly series of Untangled. Next month, I've decided to give you a series of unsatisfying solutions for a big fat problem: Facebook. Yes, yes... I can hear you laugh-crying already. Until then 👋Credits:* Track: The Perpetual Ticking of Time — Artificial.Music [Audio Library Release] * Music provided by Audio Library Plus* Watch: Here* Free Download / Stream: http://alplus.io/PerpetualTickingOfTime This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit untangled.substack.com