# Aya Miyaguchi I Growing the Infinite Garden  | Ethereum Foundation I Pragma Tokyo 2023

- Speakers: [Aya Miyaguchi](https://streameth.org/speakers/aya-miyaguchi)
- Channel: [ETHGlobal](https://streameth.org/ethglobal)
- Date: 2023-10-09
- Duration: 46:51
- Topics: Aya Miyaguchi, Ethereum Foundation, infinite garden, Pragma Tokyo, ethereum community, ethereum Japan, decentralized coordination, web3 adoption, ethereum philosophy, open source Japan, DAOs in Japan, ethereum education, ethereum grants, protocol governance, teaching and crypto, EF coordinator, ethereum ecosystem growth, infinite games, legitimacy in blockchain, crypto policy Japan, ethereum hackathon, open learning culture, public goods, crypto Tokyo
- Watch: https://streameth.org/watch/yt-cWkIKxwHjY0
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWkIKxwHjY0

## Description

Aya Miyaguchi, Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation, joins Pragma Tokyo to explore the mission of growing Ethereum as an “infinite garden.” In this deeply personal and philosophical conversation, Aya reflects on Ethereum's values, Japan’s emerging role in the developer ecosystem, and what it means to coordinate a decentralized movement.

From the EF’s support structure and cultural insights to the challenges of maintaining neutrality and scaling open systems, Aya shares how her background as a teacher influences her leadership style and how EF empowers others rather than dictates outcomes. The conversation also touches on Japan’s potential in areas like DAOs, open source culture, and unique approaches to coordination, governance, and identity. If you're curious about Ethereum’s future, EF’s philosophy, or global crypto adoption through cultural lenses, this is a must-watch.

00:00 Intro and welcoming Aya Miyaguchi
01:31 Aya’s relationship with Japan
03:12 Rise of builders in Japan’s Ethereum ecosystem
05:02 From teacher to Ethereum Foundation
07:59 What the Ethereum Foundation does
09:42 The Infinite Garden philosophy
12:24 Trade-offs of decentralized coordination
14:01 Why Ethereum is built in an open, slow way
16:00 Cultural values and leadership at EF
18:15 Why Ethereum is not a product or a company
20:21 Challenges of explaining Ethereum in Japan
23:15 Japan’s potential in open source and web3
26:06 Empowering developers and shifting mindsets
27:27 Growing optimism in Japanese policy
28:55 Ethereum’s bottoms-up culture vs top-down
29:52 EF’s evolving role as coordinator
33:36 The Infinite Garden and value alignment
34:51 Holding less than 1% of ETH and why that matters
36:31 Subtraction, legitimacy, and balance
39:13 Thanking the EF team and community
41:35 Q&A: Ethereum and network states
43:00 Q&A: Use cases for Japan and local innovation
46:16 Closing remarks and community encouragement

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🇯🇵 *Pragma Tokyo*
It’s always been about hackathons. Until now! Kicking off in Tokyo we announced the latest edition to the ETHGlobal family last week. Pragma will be one day summit, focusing on high quality talks in an intimate atmosphere that fuels reimagining the world and networking with like-minded individuals. Watch the full Pragma Tokyo 2023 playlist here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXzKMXK2aHh72VNBeeMzsvxnDdJH-vPhZ&si=z7enlsk30_DUjIoL

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