<p>We close out Season 8 with the most ambitious organization we've ever covered on Acquired: Ethereum, and it's celebrity wunderkind founder Vitalik Buterin. If you thought Mark Zuckerberg IPO-ing Facebook at $100B by age 27 was something, just wait until you hear the story of this high school junior creating $500B (!!) of market cap by the same age — and oh yeah, maybe seeding the future dethroning of Facebook, Google, Amazon and all of big tech in the process. Regardless whether you're a crypto neophyte, a die-hard bull, or a skeptical bear, this is a story you need to hear, and Ethereum is an innovation you need to understand. Buckle in for a wild ride... and some special surprises from a few Acquired friends. :) </p><p></p><p><strong>Sponsors:</strong></p><ul><li>Legora: <a href="https://bit.ly/acquiredlegora">https://bit.ly/acquiredlegora</a></li><li>Vanta: <a href="https://bit.ly/acquiredvanta">https://bit.ly/acquiredvanta</a></li><li>ServiceNow: <a href="https://bit.ly/acquiredservicenow26">https://bit.ly/acquiredservicenow26</a></li><li>Statsig: <a href="https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig26">https://bit.ly/acquiredstatsig26</a></li></ul><p><br></p><p><strong>More Acquired!</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.acquired.fm/email">Get email updates</a> with hints on next episode and follow-ups from recent episodes</li><li><a href="http://acquired.fm/slack">Join the Slack</a></li><li><a href="https://pod.link/acquiredlp">Subscribe to ACQ2</a></li><li><a href="https://www.acquired.fm/store">Merch Store</a>!</li></ul><p><br>© Copyright 2015-2026 ACQ, LLC</p><br><p>Links:</p><ul><li>The Ethereum Whitepaper: <a href="https://ethereum.org/en/whitepaper/">https://ethereum.org/en/whitepaper/</a></li><li>Yung Spielburg <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/273so0X2Yuo93vfeX2nLDI">https://open.spotify.com/artist/273so0X2Yuo93vfeX2nLDI</a> and Mike Taylor <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/30ejUciK31BCg0IVCbt1dW">https://open.spotify.com/artist/30ejUciK31BCg0IVCbt1dW</a> on Spotify</li></ul><p> Carve Outs:</p><ul><li>Arthur C. Clarke: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Arthur-C-Clarke/e/B000APF21M">https://www.amazon.com/Arthur-C-Clarke/e/B000APF21M</a>? (especially Rendezvous with Rama and The City & The Stars)</li><li>Disney-Marvel's Loki: <a href="https://www.disneyplus.com/series/loki/6pARMvILBGzF">https://www.disneyplus.com/series/loki/6pARMvILBGzF</a></li><li>The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Age-Illustrated-Primer-Spectra/dp/0553380966"> https://www.amazon.com/Diamond-Age-Illustrated-Primer-Spectra/dp/0553380966</a></li><li>Nier Automata: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nier:_Automata">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nier:_Automata</a></li><li>Magic the Gathering IRL: <a href="https://magic.wizards.com/en/events/event-types/friday-night-magic"> https://magic.wizards.com/en/events/event-types/friday-night-magic</a></li></ul>