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Ethereum, AI, and the end of trust: Joseph Lubin, co-founder of Ethereum & CEO of Consensys

Joseph Lubin, Ethereum co-founder and Consensys CEO

2026-02-11 · Marc Baumann and Sangam Bharti

Joseph Lubin connects his view of institutional trust and monetary cycles with Ethereum's role in a more decentralized economy. The conversation considers how AI and blockchain could fit together and why he sees infrastructure development as part of a broader social and economic transition. His historical interpretation and expectations for the future are the guest's thesis; they are useful context for understanding the strategy behind his work.

In this conversation

Listen on the original episode page →

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Chapters

  1. 02:09 — The 80-year super cycle: Why Ray Dalio and Strauss & Howe explain today’s market chaos and why the “Fourth Turning” is here.
  2. 09:42 — Decentralised trust as the answer: How Ethereum becomes the foundation of the next super cycle alongside AI.
  3. 16:15 — The origin story: How Ethereum went from 100+ volunteers to civilisation-scale infrastructure without VC funding.
  4. 23:26 — Ethereum killers and layer 2s: Why L2s aren’t just “scaling” tools; they are the partitions that allow nation-states and corporations to join the network.
  5. 27:45 — How blockchain becomes the trust foundation of AI
  6. 32:00 — The DAT strategy: Why Lubin joined SharpLink, and what happens when ETH is down 50% from ATH.
  7. 37:42 — The layer 2 debate: Joe’s take on Vitalik Buterin’s recent comments regarding the L2 roadmap and why ZK-EVM is “magic.”

Chapter labels and timestamps follow the publisher’s episode notes.