February 29, 2024—Ethereum’s growth continues, and a diverse range of human participation adds resilience to the ecosystem. The Devconnect Scholars Program is a modest initiative designed to foster community diversity and resilience. By promoting broader representation across geographical regions and demographics, Ethereum can better serve the coordination needs of all people, not just a select few. This diverse representation not only strengthens the security of the network, such as through a wider distribution of Ethereum nodes, but also enriches the community and makes Ethereum more accessible to everyone.
The Scholars Program brought 22 developers from underrepresented communities to Devconnect Istanbul. This article shares some of the stories of these Scholars and their experiences.
Meet the Scholars
- Ovia: A blockchain researcher focused on Proof-of-Work blockchains during her PhD research. As an active contributor to India’s Web3 community, she conducts technical workshops and supports female and non-binary individuals through the Phoenix Guild. Ovia left Devconnect with fresh ideas and potential collaborations to enhance her ongoing work, alongside meeting some of her tech icons in person. Read her takeaways on “Introduction to ZKVMs and Types of ZKVMs” and “Simplified Moonmath Behind ZKSNARKs.”
- Elnaz: A smart contract developer from Iran who previously worked as a Java backend developer. After being banned by a centralized exchange due to her nationality, Elnaz discovered the Bitcoin and Ethereum whitepapers and was amazed by the potential of decentralization. In her community, where access to banking is limited and inflation is high, educating people about the drawbacks of centralized networks and onboarding them to decentralized alternatives remains a challenge. Read her reflections on “Enabling Low-Cost, Decentralized Micropayments on Ethereum Through Layer 2 Rollups.”
- Alphonce: A software engineer from Kenya initially drawn to crypto for speculation, but his involvement in open-source projects in Ethereum shifted his perspective. He now sees Ethereum as a “powerful platform for fostering financial inclusion and innovation.” He aims to contribute to Africa’s blockchain ecosystem by sharing the collaborative spirit and knowledge gained at Devconnect. Continue reading his insights in “Reflections From DevConnect: Unveiling Opportunities for Financial Inclusivity with Ethereum.”
Discover more stories, insights, and learnings from other Scholars here.
What’s Next?
Alongside existing community efforts to promote better representation, we hope that the Devcon and Devconnect Scholars will help expand and enhance the Infinite Garden of Ethereum. For future Scholars Programs and more stories, follow @EFNextBillion.