ETHDenver 2025

Zero-Knowledge, Maximum Delay

The trip began with delays that felt personal. Hours at the American Airlines gate stretched thin, and I started wondering if my travel plans had been designed by an MEV bot prioritizing everything but my convenience.

The early side events didn’t help. An overwhelming sense of hype and vibe farming permeated the air. My expectations flatlined. But on Wednesday, something shifted. A talk on programmable privacy planted a seed. A fireside chat about private DeFi use cases nudged it further. Somewhere between that and a long walk to yet another venue, things clicked. Concepts that once felt very abstract now felt like table stakes.

On my final night in town, I found myself at Corn’s launch party. Lil Jon preached over deep bass and open bar entropy. Literal corn cobs were passed around like sacred relics. It was all absurd—and somehow, exactly right.