Look Who it Was Random video

#252 Ralph Merkle: Revolutionizing Democracy Using DAOs (rebroadcast)

1,345 views · Published 12 September 2018 · 1:16:28 · Indexed 22 October 2026

Channel: Epicenter Podcast · 2018 · Science & Technology

Watch on YouTube

Support the show, consider donating: 
BTC: 1CD83r9EzFinDNWwmRW4ssgCbhsM5bxXwg (https://epicenter.tv/tipbtc)
BCC: 1M4dvWxjL5N9WniNtatKtxW7RcGV73TQTd (http://epicenter.tv/tipbch)
ETH: 0x8cdb49ca5103Ce06717C4daBBFD4857183f50935 (https://epicenter.tv/tipeth)

Legendary scientist and cryptography pioneer Ralph Merkle joined us to discuss his recent paper on DAOs. Merkle examined how the voting mechanisms in today’s democracies are flawed and how a decentralized, transparent DAO making decisions using prediction markets could create more efficient democratic systems.

Topics discussed in this episode:
- Merkle proofs, Merkle Roots and his early forays into cryptography
- Blockchains as living organisms
- Why DAOs will be subject to a Darwinian evolutionary process
- Why voting is flawed and we need new governance methods to save democracy
- The concept of a DAO democracy
- How prediction markets and futarchy would help govern a DAO democracy

Links mentioned in this episode: 
- Ralph Merkle DAO Democracy Paper [PDF]: http://merkle.com/papers/DAOdemocracyDraft.pdf
- Ralph Merkle's Homepage: http://www.merkle.com/
- Ralph Merkle's Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Merkle
- Episode 98 with Robin Hanson on futarchy & prediction markets: https://epicenter.tv/episode/098/
- Tim Urban: Why Cryonics Makes Sense: https://waitbutwhy.com/2016/03/cryonics.html
- Alcor - Life Extension Foundation: https://www.alcor.org/

Sponsors: 
- DutchX: The open, decentralized trading protocol for ERC20 tokens using the Dutch auction mechanism - https://epicenter.tv/dutchx

This episode is also available on :
- Epicenter.tv: https://epicenter.tv/252
- YouTube: http://youtu.be/jPc46QaYvwM
- Souncloud: http://soundcloud.com/epicenterbitcoin/eb-252

Watch or listen, Epicenter is available wherever you get your podcasts.

Epicenter is hosted by Brian Fabian Crain, Sébastien Couture & Meher Roy.

More from this channel