2025-11-18 –, World's Fair Stage
Ethereum's growth has historically been fueled by token emissions, but this model isn't sustainable forever. Octant v2 introduces a new approach: using DeFi yield to fund the ecosystem itself.
This talk explores how vaults, built on ERC-4626 and inspired by Yearn v3's modular architecture, can turn yield into continuous, no-loss funding for builders, researchers, and communities.
We'll look at Octant's evolution, from staking 100,000 ETH and distributing $12M in yield to public goods, to today's scalable architecture that connects protocols like Aave, Lido, and Yearn directly to on-chain funding.
Finally, we'll zoom out to the bigger picture: how Ethereum can transition from a single-actor funding model to a distributed network of vaults powering ecosystem sustainability.
James joined the Octant team in 2022, initially leading community efforts before transitioning to his current role as Head of Impact, where he focuses on business development and partnerships. A long-time Ethereum supporter, James bought his first ETH in 2015 and became active in the Golem community in late 2016. Before entering web3 full time, he spent over a decade building and leading real-world communities in Silicon Valley, bridging the gap between technology, health, and people.