# Ethereum is All You Need I Josef Je

- Speakers: Josef Je
- Channel: [ETHGlobal](https://streameth.org/ethglobal)
- Date: 2026-05-09
- Duration: 20:14
- Topics: European Ethereum Institute, Josef Je, Pragma, Ethereum, regulation, EU, MiCA, policy, DeFi, tokenization, stablecoins, decentralization, public infrastructure, open source, permissioned chains, institutional adoption, European Parliament, André Kvapiš, Ethereum Foundation, Aave, Gnosis, ZK proofs, identity, voting, MEV, regulators, compliance, Europe, Web3, blockchain, task force, advocacy, Bitcoin, credible neutrality, Lindy effect, network effects, public good
- Watch: https://streameth.org/watch/yt-rkjPxjgUdww
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkjPxjgUdww

## Description

In this talk, Josef Je introduces the European Ethereum Institute, a newly launched task force dedicated to getting Ethereum recognized as strategic public infrastructure by European regulators — comparable to the internet or the electric grid. He argues that after a decade of builders ignoring policy, regulation has now caught up to the point where DeFi, tokenization, and MEV are being discussed in EU papers, and the community must engage proactively or risk being overshadowed by permissioned chain salespeople pitching proprietary tech to uninformed regulators.

Josef frames the urgency through Europe's risk of repeating the Web2 pattern where all innovation and business creation migrated to Silicon Valley while the EU could only react through after-the-fact regulation. He outlines the institute's three-pronged approach: producing evidence-based papers and infographics showing regulators the differences between true DeFi and centralized projects, helping regulators understand the full Ethereum technology stack beyond finance (identity, voting, ZK proofs, timestamping), and proactive outreach to bring regulators into crypto events. He announces that André Kvapiš, a former European Parliament member who helped remove DeFi from MiCA's scope, has officially joined the institute, and shares that initial funding comes from Ethereum Foundation, Aave, and Gnosis.

00:00 Introduction
00:29 Why a Builder Started Caring About Policy
02:09 Institutions Coming On-Chain: Now or Never
03:42 Launch of the European Ethereum Institute
04:22 Permissioned Chains Are Back (and Still Wrong)
05:10 Ethereum as the Golden Standard
06:05 "It's Ethereum, Not Blockchains"
07:00 Ethereum's Lindy and Network Effects
07:31 Mission: Ethereum as Strategic Public Infrastructure
08:55 Europe's Risk of Repeating the Web2 Mistake
10:14 Providing Evidence to Regulators
11:39 Tokenization, Stablecoins, and True DeFi
13:10 Ethereum's Stack Beyond Finance: Identity, Voting, ZK
14:22 A Task Force, Not Another Association
15:58 How a Regulator Joined the Ethereum Side
17:11 André Kvapiš and MiCA's DeFi Exemption
18:37 Team, Funding, and How to Get Involved
19:56 Closing

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🇫🇷 *Pragma Cannes 2026*
Pragma Cannes 2026 was held on April 2nd at the JW Marriott Hotel in Cannes, France and was an in-person summit for builders and leaders in the web3 ecosystem. Watch the full Pragma Cannes 2026 YouTube Playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXzKMXK2aHh5OnsJ95gz7HoI1tLUj3kZr

ETHGlobal's Pragma series takes place in cities around the world, and is designed to be a different kind of event. Pragma is a one-stage conference with founders-only on stage, bringing together a small group of curated attendees and speakers to discuss the future of web3 and reflect on the past. 

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✅ Follow Josef Je
X: https://x.com/josefje

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X: https://x.com/TheRealKartik

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