# Ethereum Is in the Real World By [Chaîne Research](https://paragraph.com/@chaineresearch) · 2026-07-21 --- On July 2nd & 3rd 2026 there was a conference held in Munich, Germany entitled: > **ETHis: Ethereum For The Real World** > Trust, Coordination, Ownership, Verification, & Settlement For Real-World Systems The conf was held in parallel to the “[Festival der Zukunft](https://www.1e9.community/festival-der-zukunft/2026/english)” (Festival for the Future), which happens every year at the [Deutsches Museum](https://www.deutsches-museum.de/en/forum-der-zukunft/ausstellung/festival-der-zukunft), the world’s largest science and technology museum. This is a different setting to the usual Web3 conference circuit. Science, industry, and real-world systems interconnect in a massive building that houses the machines and technology that helped shape the modern world. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/2ff9cba056efa98bf418faf2480eb1c41b8f417fa23fe584cce677ee2abe1ed9.jpg) Inside the Deutsches Museum at Festival der Zukunft. (Image from the website) The [conference website](https://www.ethis.xyz/) is superbly designed with replete information and an interactive programme that enables users to earmark talks they intend to attend. Themes ------ ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/09c5453e55a0eee0297dc6d3387ff0b0f98f404cac3d69021f0a5899fa094b13.png) Color-coded theme listing from the chic website of the event. The sessions were divided into thematic domains including: * **Real-World Productive Assets:** Productive assets, credit, and infrastructure are moving on-chain as programmable ownership and settlement rails. * **ZK Privacy:** Privacy-preserving proofs for identity, compliance, verifiable data, and institutional workflows without unnecessary data exposure. * **DePIN & Hardware:** Physical networks, sensors, energy systems, robotics, and hardware connected to Ethereum-native coordination and settlement. * **DeFi & Stablecoins:** Settlement, liquidity, treasury, and payments moving toward always-on rails that institutions and users can actually use. * **AI & XRisk:** Defensive acceleration in practice: open, accountable, privacy-aware systems that protect agency as AI capability increases. * **Governance & DAOs:** On-chain coordination for shared resources, protocol stewardship, public goods, and institutions that need credible decision-making. First day: Expert Circles ------------------------- The Thursday was devoted to Expert Circles, small groups of panelists gathered in a semicircle that enabled audience participation. The topics were: * DePIN: From Experiment to Industrial Infrastructure * Real-world Coordination and Network States * The Lessons from Decentralized Autonomous Organizations * Value Management and Venture Strategy * Frontier of Public Goods and DeSci * Applied Trust and Decentralized Applications * Let’s Talk About Privacy Now! ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/51a4e4142da63812d011e34143f4de2760ad3ee9db5915562de5d651a565d8db.jpg) The “Real-world Coordination and Network States” circle. A sprightly discussion in the “Real-world Coordination and Network States” circle included: [Ashton Keys](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=ashton-keys) (Society Protocol), co-organizer [Kris Millar](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=kris-millar) (VDAO), [Matteo Tambussi](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=matteo-tambussi) (Spaghetti ETH), co-organizer [Una Wang](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=una-wang) (ETH Zurich), [Nikoline Arns](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=nikoline-arns) (Hubs Network), and [Felix Fritsch](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=felix-fritsch) (Commons Hub Austria). The day finished with beer! 🍻 And spritzes, and other beverages, and a catered meal in the museum’s beer garden along the Isar River. It was high-signal networking. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/72c7b198e332b1413c6e4892f12a185eebb2c8b9a55bfe1bf7962a119eb54e31.jpg) The beer garden of the Deutsches Museum by the Isar River. The Expert Circles continued into Friday morning: * Institution and Democracy * Defi and Stablecoin * State of DePIN Second day: Main Programme -------------------------- The Friday was packed with a roster of talks, panels, and a Lightning Talk track. These screenshots display the sessions, all of which were recorded.\* [Full descriptions](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme) can be viewed on the site. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/27f4d764d94f20e77ee2998e31211fd1db1f6135d15710ac2d4be5a4c7229478.jpg) Main Stage sessions Some sessions were held on the Dome Stage, a lofty hall where Festival der Zukunft projected an animation on the dome ceiling. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/afbc9396739a3ebf0c24f02db34402037b64e8ceb2e313e57a9e23af9c71eeb6.jpg) The “Applied Trust and Decentralized Applications” space. During the “Applied Trust and Decentralized Applications” panel, moderated by co-organizer [Donny Lewis](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=donny-lewis), AI definitions from a local LLM, derived from the discussion, were projected onto the dome. (I was volunteering and spent the day in the Lightning Stage space, bartending and start/stopping the video, and totally enjoyed it!) ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/48e0b9df213990e5c070467a6b241e2b321b2272a9e9e0f98ac0cdf1a474d194.jpg) Lightning Stage sessions In one Lightning Talk [Kris Millar](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=kris-millar) from [VDAO](https://www.vdao.io/) explained how “local communities and Ethereum-aligned infrastructure can build resilient, antifragile systems in the face of institutional, economic, and technological shocks”. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/15d4ad234ecc9e97cbe0050054fe3679f13cba323bece7554a067f396f6be6c8.jpg) Kris Millar extolls on “Local resilience and Antifragile systems”. At the end of the day came a finale, a fireside chat between [Vitalik Buterin](https://x.com/VitalikButerin) on remote video and [Amir Taaki](https://x.com/lunardragon420) live. It was a feisty, far-ranging session, a riveting exchange that went overtime, lasting an hour and 20 minutes. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/06cec6300b2999a686cb0a2442d1437a5684e9f47b03a77152cc7d052856ffce.jpg) Closing Fireside Chat with Vitalik Buterin and Amir Taaki. The [broadcast is viewable on X](https://x.com/i/broadcasts/1mxPaaePnEqKN) and [a transcript is on Fileverse](https://docs.fileverse.io/d/02001adf0000#k=pM7v1IZjcnqhayNaKgO168qdkUlDSZ6pMIKKyA2hsLQ). The conference concluded in the courtyard of the museum with drinks and food. It was summertime, with utterly pleasant weather that enlivened the convivial atmosphere. ![](https://storage.googleapis.com/papyrus_images/f8bd60ac255585003268795d9d4c779b8afee3a1b991cb3dfa1305aa0f627c17.jpg) The closing party in a courtyard of the Deutsches Museum. ### Notes \*Sessions were recorded and the videos are currently being processed. They’ll soon be published on the [ETHis website](https://www.ethis.xyz/). † Kudos to ALL the conference organizers: [Donny Lewis](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=donny-lewis), [Josef Köhl](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=josef-z-koehl), [Kris Millar](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=kris-millar), [Raphael Spannocchi](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=raphael-spannocchi), [Una Wang](https://www.ethis.xyz/programme?speaker=una-wang) 🙌 ‡ Thanks to the sponsors: [Anode](https://tradevest.ai/), [Etched](https://etched.xyz/), [Fileldgr](https://filedgr.com/), [Society Protocol](https://societyprotocol.io/), [Solar Punk](https://solarpunk.buzz/), [Swarm](https://www.ethswarm.org/), [Tradvest](https://tradevest.ai/), [Viridis](https://viridis.info/) 👍 --- *Originally published on [Chaîne Research](https://paragraph.com/@chaineresearch/ethereum-is-in-the-real-world)*