Ready for Merge Ep. 29 👾

Meet Ben, a developer who works full-time on the Ethereum execution layer (EL) client, Nethermind. In just over two years, Ben has become one of the top three contributors to the Nethermind codebase — a remarkable leap for someone who once dismissed cryptocurrencies entirely. In this interview, Ben recounts how he found his calling working as a full-time Ethereum client developer and the twists and turns in his journey that led him through building online games and contributing to Microsoft’s .NET ecosystem to becoming one of Nethermind’s most prolific contributors.This interview was recorded on August 13, 2025.Timestamps:(0:49) Show announcements(1:23) Ben’s biggest contribution to Ethereum(19:59) Ben’s view on Ethereum leadership(31:50) What an average day looks like as a Nethermind developer (39:38) Rapid fire questionsEnjoying this content? Subscribe to the newsletter: https://christinedkim.substack.com/Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ready4mergeFollow on X: https://x.com/ready4mergeInterested in sponsoring the show? [email protected] Get full access to Christine D. Kim at christinedkim.substack.com/subscribe