Shuyao: An Ethereum Sociological Experiment for Citizens of Zuzalu
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Original link:https://shuyao.substack.com/p/confessions-of-a-zuzalian
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Zuzalu feels more like an ancient Greek city than a crypto conference by the sea.
As you may have heard, this gathering – the brainchild of Vitalik, the creator of ethereum – is where the richest crypto bosses plan how to avoid death. Of course, that's not all that happened in Zuzalu.
I spent a month in Zuzalu, a two-month Temporary City project in Lustica Bay, Montenegro, and had the chance to hang out with some of the smartest people in the world. High concentration of talents is Zuzalu's killer feature!
Once in Zuzalu (the word is made up), I signed up for the program with ZuPass and used a QR code to generate a “passport,” a zero-knowledge proof-based identity verification system for residents. This app is created by a Zuzalu resident. In fact, the technical solution of this project is also supported by the Zuzalu resident.
It doesn't take long for you to become fully acquainted with Zuzalu's significant landscape. It's a beautiful bay where green mountains descend dramatically to touch the Adriatic. Most of the participants (even though it says 200 attend, there are actually 700) live in apartments rented by the core organizers for a fraction of what they actually pay.
Students and others in need of financial assistance can apply for subsidies. I had the pleasure of meeting my friend Eric Annan, a founder from Ghana who is building a Web3 Talent Protocol in Africa. It is also thanks to this subsidy that Eric was able to come to Zuzalu.
Owned and developed by an Egyptian real estate company, the bay has almost everything you could need: restaurants, grocery stores, bakeries, cafes (pistachio ice cream is delicious), pharmacies, children's playgrounds and clothing stores .
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My favorite site
In Zuzalu, my favorite place is actually the co-working space. You can host talks, panels, and hackathons here, and they also provide free food.
A large room with rows of desks and chairs and a big screen that reminded me of a college library (my favorite place in school). I love this place, it allows me to get away from all the social activities and really be able to focus on work. I also like the friends who work with me, they are elite talents in various fields.
From smart contract developers to cryptographers, from security experts to network status advocates, "collaboration without borders" enthusiasts, AI elites, and even Elon Musk's ex-wife Grimes — wherever you go in Zuzalu, you have the opportunity to interact with The exchange of top talents in different industries. The cooperation negotiated in Zuzalu is unmatched by most Crypto meetups.
In addition to the small talk about Crypto, the most common topic is "AI Alignment", or "X-risk". Here, as elsewhere, the debate centers on whether AGI might become so powerful that it takes humans out of labor.
Flashbot, a project known for building the MEV protocol and tools, moderated the entire discussion. People take different positions and have a heated debate on Zuzalu's night.
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Of course you can object to the pursuit of immortality
The media described that Zuzalu gathered a group of crypto billionaires who hope to pursue immortality through technology, but is this really the case? Indeed, some people will soak in cold water, fast, and constantly monitor blood sugar to make themselves live longer. But most of them, like Bing, are just trying to live a healthy life.
Quite a few even sing about the occasional indulgence. For example, some community members formed an anti-longevity group that hosted an event to eat pancakes, which are extremely sugary.
One of the members even added an "anti-longevity club emoji" next to their name: I don't think there are many people who are against longevity, but if you simplify the diverse group and then support something, there will be problems.
Brother Bing really likes to have a longevity expert by his side. I was eating a bunch of fruit one morning when a yoga teacher came up to me and told me that eating fruit before protein or veggies would cause blood sugar to spike. A spike in blood sugar can lead to feeling more tired, moody, and lethargic throughout the rest of the day.
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No, Vitalik is not the CEO
On my first day in Zuzalu, I met Vitalik when he was sitting next to a mutual friend of ours, had just finished lunch and was about to hang out with two other residents.
Vitalik has been critical to Zuzalu's success: he initiates many core projects, invites speakers and participants, and answers community questions at weekly town meetings. But to most residents, despite his important status as the founder of Ethereum, he does not seem to be much different from the other core organizers.
He goes to breakfast like everyone else, hikes in the mountains like everyone else, participates in many salon-like discussions, and even sings karaoke like everyone else. In addition, he also eats hotpot with people in the Chinese community, which makes me very satisfied, because I am the founder of Hotpot DAO.
As a member of the community, Vitalik feels everyday and egalitarian in Zuzalu, rather than elitist as the media generally portrays him to be.
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What exactly is Zuzalu?
It's a tough question to answer because Zuzalu is young and hard to define. In media portrayals, Zuzalu is a sexless Burning Man, an adult summer camp for the crypto-rich, or, more directly, an endless session.
But to me, Zuzalu is a lot like the early days of Ethereum: raw and uncertain, but full of optimism and excitement for the future. It was intentionally left unfinished. Its existence should stretch our imaginations and offer a new way of living together — hopefully a model of altruism. Hope that more countries will open similar social experiments and let more curious people experience the magic of Zuzalu.
Leaving this place is very ceremonial, like the last day of grad school, with many heartfelt goodbyes. Will I go back to Zuzalu v.2? of course. Will I live forever in Zuzalu? Will anyone live forever in Zuzalu? I asked myself this question on Zuzalu's Telegram channel (I got fasting tips there! So I can eat hot pot forever!)
I don't think I'll really leave Zuzalu because it's always been an online community at heart. Happily, Brother Bing will continue to share wisdom with other Zuzalu citizens until the next meeting, and hope we can meet again at the next Zuzalu v.2.
