On September 18, 2024, the documentary “Vitalik: A Story of Ethereum” was released. The documentary was originally titled “Ethereum: The Infinite Garden,” a name derived from the Ethereum Foundation’s philosophy. However, since the film is an independent project (not produced by the Ethereum Foundation), the team ultimately regrettably decided to abandon this title to avoid confusion within the community [1]. So, what is the connection between the Ethereum Foundation and the “Infinite Garden”?

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“Finite games aim to win, while infinite games aim to continue the game.” [2]

— James P. Carse, “Finite and Infinite Games”

The desire for competition and victory has always been deeply rooted in human nature, and we are obsessed with success and failure. In zero-sum games, there are always winners and losers; the gains of the winner come at the expense of the loser, and the failure of the loser makes us cherish our success even more.

However, zero-sum games represent a one-directional growth model. People often think, “I must work harder and faster to surpass X and win against X.” In this model, development is driven by the desire to outdo others.

But imagine if there were no next game. This would mean there is no clear final outcome, and therefore no traditional winners or losers. We are merely participants in the game. In such a situation, the logic of zero-sum games loses its significance, and we no longer rely on the failures of others to prove our own success.

Ultimately, we welcome a cooperative and open learning and working environment [3]. As Aya Miyaguchi, Executive Director of the Ethereum Foundation, articulated in her 2021 EthCC speech “Growing the Infinite Garden - Ethereum” [4], this is precisely Ethereum’s vision, which she refers to as the “Infinite Garden.”

Aya Miyaguchi’s speech “Growing the Infinite Garden - Ethereum” screenshot.

This concept is inspired by the book Finite and Infinite Games by American scholar James P. Carse. In this book, there is a thought-provoking line: “Finite games aim to win, while infinite games aim to continue the game.”

James P. Carse demonstrates in this book that there are two different types of games in the world: finite games and infinite games. Finite games have clear rules, strict time limits, and well-defined criteria for winning and losing, with the ultimate goal being victory. In such games, the relationships between players are often adversarial.

In contrast, infinite games have no fixed rules and no clear time limits; the goal is not to win but to bring more people into the game and keep it going. In infinite games, the players’ mindset revolves around cooperation, innovation, and adaptation to change.

In her speech, Aya Miyaguchi gives an example of children playing soccer on the street: these kids are not forced by their parents but genuinely enjoy the sport. Some may not be wearing shoes, some join at any time, and some may temporarily step out, but these factors do not affect their joyful play. If a newcomer joins, they pause the game to teach them. The better the newcomer performs, the more exciting the game becomes, which is beneficial for everyone.

Aya Miyaguchi’s Speech Screenshot: “Cultivating the Infinite Garden - Ethereum”

However, when the goal shifts to winning, the situation changes entirely. Focusing on winning can disrupt your plans and strategies, disturb your mindset, and prevent you from fully immersing yourself in the game. If you don’t end up winning, you may feel frustrated and disappointed.

Aya Miyaguchi believes that keeping Ethereum fun lies in remembering the excitement of playing together, which keeps us engaged. In the context of an infinite game, finite games can appear, but a finite game cannot encompass an infinite one. For example, the internal competition and debates within Ethereum are not aimed at having a single player win but rather at continuously improving Ethereum to make it better.

Ethereum’s ecosystem is like a thriving garden, set within the natural environment. Here, we can enjoy playing various games. The initial gardeners planted the first seeds, and over time, trees and various plants grew, filling this garden with vitality and diversity. This ecosystem evolved naturally, not designed by any single individual or organization but cultivated by a group of curious, passionate people eager to improve the garden.

What role does the Ethereum Foundation play in this infinite game?

The Ethereum Foundation’s mission is to “cultivate the infinite garden.” It likens itself to a “gardener,” focusing on nurturing and fostering the growth of Ethereum’s ecosystem, rather than controlling it.

In October 2022, during the Ethereum developer conference Devcon 6, Aya Miyaguchi gave another talk about the “infinite garden” of Ethereum, titled “Executing with Subtraction in the Infinite Garden” [5]. In this talk, she detailed the role and function of the Ethereum Foundation (EF) in Ethereum’s “infinite garden.”

In the early days, the Ethereum Foundation was not an official organization but rather a group of developers and researchers. At that time, there was no financial team, no grant team, and Ethereum’s internal collaboration system was not well-developed. When Aya Miyaguchi first joined, she faced two choices: one was addition, meaning building a powerful EF empire. This idea was entirely possible at the time—it wasn’t technically difficult, and the price of Ether was already quite good. The other option was subtraction, meaning reducing power. Ultimately, the Foundation chose subtraction, shifting its role to that of a supporter for the entire ecosystem, nurturing this “infinite garden.” By that time, Ethereum had already become a massive open-source community with many areas in need of improvement. The Ethereum Foundation needed to focus on tasks only it could do, things others would not take on. This led to the creation of programs like the Ethereum Ecosystem Support Program (ESP) and various grant initiatives. Additionally, the Ethereum Foundation prioritized supporting as many third-party grant programs as possible, such as Gitcoin, Clr.fund, Protocol Guild, and MolochDAO. The Foundation’s support isn’t limited to any specific team but is focused on the long-term development and prosperity of the entire ecosystem.

Aya Miyaguchi’s Speech Screenshot: “Executing with Subtraction in the Infinite Garden”

The Ethereum Foundation knows that for the ecosystem to maintain continuous prosperity and growth, innovation and growth must be nurtured through diversity and collaboration. Remember the Ethereum.org website? Its maintenance and translation were carried out by volunteers and developers from the Ethereum community. The translation efforts, in particular, were supported by approximately 5,000 volunteers from around the world, who collectively translated the site into as many as 48 languages.

In Ethereum’s collaboration system, cooperation is promoted, but this does not mean competition is excluded. On the contrary, the Ethereum community encourages open participation and competition, as it is all for the betterment of Ethereum. In this ecosystem, a zero-sum game does not exist—one person’s success does not mean another’s failure; rather, it leads to the flourishing of the entire community.

In June 2024, Juan David, co-founder of Ethkipu.org, explored the concept of the “infinite garden” from the perspective of plant growth. In his article “Why Ethereum Evolves Like a Garden?” [6], he quoted Italian botanist Stefano Mancuso’s statement from The Kingdom of Plants: “The plant kingdom does not acknowledge the animal hierarchy based on command centers and centralization, but instead fosters a decentralized plant democracy.” This quote means that the plant world does not rely on strict hierarchies or centralization, unlike the animal world. In nature, plants support each other by sharing and exchanging resources through the “Wood Wide Web.”

Ethereum, like the plant world, relies on decentralization to achieve innovation and cooperation. Because of the diversity within this garden, Ethereum can accommodate various projects, such as both Optimistic Rollups and ZK-Rollups as different solutions. This diversity ensures Ethereum’s adaptability and sustainable growth.

Image source: https://typeshare.co/juandaveth/posts/why-ethereum-evolves-like-a-garden

Whether it is the concept of the infinite game emphasized by Aya Miyaguchi or the decentralized principles explained by Juan David from the perspective of plant growth, both showcase the unique charm of Ethereum. As time goes on and Ethereum continues to evolve, our understanding of these concepts will deepen, and each individual will become an active participant and witness in this process.

Ethereum’s “garden” welcomes everyone, allowing us to play and explore within it. This “garden” is open and limitless, and in the promising Ethereum ecosystem, everyone can be a participant and guardian. It is precisely because of this openness, cooperation, and decentralization that Ethereum’s “garden” can achieve the state of “infinity.”

References

[1] The encryption documentary “Vitalik: The Story of Ethereum” is coming, and the trailer will be released on July 23. https://www.chaincatcher.com/article/2134211[2] James P. Carse Finite and Infinite Game. Translated by Ma Xiaowu and Yu Qian, China Industry and Information Technology Press, Electronic Industry Press, 2019. [3] Team Gitcoin, August 29, 2022, The Infinite Garden Relies on the Infinite Game. https://www. gitcoin.co/blog/infinite-gardens[4]Aya Miyaguchi: Growing the Infinite Garden - Ethereum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ny83XarlecE&t=404s[5]Executing with Subtraction in the Infinite Garden. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noXPewi5qOk[6]Why Ethereum Evolves Like a Garden?. https://typeshare.co/juandaveth/posts/why-ethereum-evolves-like-a-garden

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