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Messy birth
With the upcoming launch of the EOS blockchain happening imminently, it got me thinking about blockchains and their launches. There have been a lot of 'messy' launches over the years and we shouldn't be surprised if is no different in terms of having a messy birth.
I think of it like having a child. Once the child is born it is a beautiful thing. However if you've ever witnessed a women in labour (of if you've been in labour yourself) - I've witnessed my wife going in labour three times - you'll understand that process gets pretty messy!
A similar analogy applies to the launch of decentralised public blockchains.
A stroll down memory lane
If I think back to when I first got into the crypto game, the first big blockchain launch I remember was when Dash (Darkcoin) as it then was, was launched. There was a hole bunch of controversy around whether the developers pre-mined/ ninja-mined the coins.
When Monero first launched, it was a community response to perceived issues with bytecoin. Monero was launched under a different name when it started and I remember when Crypto Zoidberg (the Boolberry developer) had to help patch a Monero exploit in the first few months. Monero has gone on to strive whereas Boolberry barely exists today.
I remember the controversy around the Nxt launch. I'd call Nxt one of the first major ICOs (before the term ICO was a thing). Hugely controversial in terms of the concentration of coins in the hands of a handful of holders. However it didn't stop Nxt from being a major player at the time.
The list goes on...
Baby steps
At the time of these launches and controversies, it seemed as if the problems were virtually intractable. However as time passes, these launch problems are regulated to footnotes. As parents to these blockchains, we - the communities - tend to develop amnesia to the pains of labour as we see our fledging blockchain take their first baby steps. It is what happens in the months and years subsequent to launch that really define whether a blockchain will be successful or not.
EOS launch 'should' be a mess!
I will be absolutely amazed if there there isn't a hiccup or controversy or two surrounding the EOS launch. A decentralised, public blockchain, built and accepted on a bases of consensus, should by definition be messy. There is no individual, single point of failure launching it. And even where there is, for the blockchain to work it must be owned by the community in a decentralised manner.
So my takeaway today would be, don't expect block.one or the eos community to squat over and pop out a eos blockchain on June 2nd. Expect a messy, potentially protracted birth. Expect a bit of drama and FUD. It's not unusual in crypto for these things to happen. Just as it's not unusual to see a lot of drama in many a delivery room as babies are introduced in the world.
Long term the proof of the value of a blockchain will not so much be around the launch (although that's important), it will be how the chain is used when we agree on a Mainnet going forward. That is the nature of decentralised systems. They are not going to be 'clean'. You're not going to get a CEO making unchallenged decisions from the top down, making sure everything happens to schedule. It's going to be done by a community. A community of different voices and interests that will need to come together and make sure the launch is successful.
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