Hi - GenZod Here,
It’s been a long race / marathon towards Shelley, but we’re almost there. It feels surreal, as this milestone has been something we’ve all learned about, watched, and cheered for years. I’m an avid fan of Cardano, obviously, but I can’t lie - I’ve had my many moments of doubt. Like any dysfunctional family, you get frustrated, tired, and the echoes from the trolls and haters begin to wear on you… but amongst the chaos, something about Cardano always felt different .
Logically, it all made sense. If you want to play the game, then do it at a level where you can change the game. The science, the papers, the team, etc always made it feel more than just “some dudes coding cool stuff in someone’s basement”. You could feel that Cardano wanted to bring some respect, maturity, and real progress to the blockchain / cryptocurrency industry. In order to do this, you need the top minds all collaborating to benefit, poke holes, introduce new ideas, etc. Once you have this, then you have the basis and standards on which you can build upon. Everything was theorized, documented, planned, tested, revised, and repeated…
They laughed at us for this.
Hmm…
Take a moment to really think about that. No, seriously… think about that for a second. Freestyle coders that were making great progress then, were laughing at the academic research and peer-reviewed papers that could benefit the entire industry. I personally believe that’s why some projects won’t fully acknowledge Cardano now. Imagine…if you approached something one way, believing you and your homies are genius enough to just wing it, then a few years later you realize this stuff is F’n hard… what would you do? All the while, the dude that left your project has started a new one and has been making a video every week about peer-reviewed research, formal methods, 3rd generation blockchain… I’d probably doubt him too… until, well… I couldn’t.
That’s where Shelley will take us in the coming months. The dismissers & doubters will begin to see the light on top of the mountain - How could they not? The light is only getting brighter, and the mountain is only getting bigger.
We’re talking 1,000+ stake pools… 50-100 times more decentralized at a fraction of the power / cost than some other blockchains. Also, a dedicated community, where I’ve heard certain stakepool operators and developers talk about getting “Goosebumps” during the meetings because they know what they’re doing now will echo across the globe for decades to come. Shelley IS the beginning. It isn’t a technological approach… but a new way of thinking that legitimizes Cardano and the ENTIRE blockchain industry. We are entering a phase where they can no longer stop us. Shelley is the distribution of power, with an incentive scheme and system that only encourages more decentralization… not less.
Therefore, I tell you to be present, and Live in this Moment. It’s easy for us to get caught up in dates, features, prices, or what have you…but to all the real fans of Cardano ( especially the OGs )… Enjoy. This. Moment. Through it all, we’ve stayed true to something scientific and logical. And in my belief (now more than ever), the teams & community behind Cardano have the focus, the processes, and the ambition to bring the true goals of Cardano to fruition.
It is our time, because through Shelley, We Are Cardano.
Zod.
Keep the faith 