In September 2022, during ETH Santiago, I opened my talk about the Merge by referencing an intriguing idea from Stefano Mancuso’s book, The Nation of Plants. Article 3 states: “The nation of plants shall not recognize animal hierarchies, founded on command centres and centralised functions, and shall foster diffuse and decentralised vegetable democracies.”

Ethereum embodies this concept. Opportunities are available to everyone, playing never-ending games in an ecosystem designed to avoid single points of failure. This vision, which was called the Infinite Garden, is decentralized and resilient, much like the plant world.

Ethereum isn’t about beating the competition, it’s about endless innovation and collaboration. Inspired by game theory, an infinite game focuses on continuing play, not on winning. If the game ends we all loose.

A garden is diverse, different types of plants and animals thrive together. Similar to a healthy garden, Ethereum welcomes all kinds of projects. This diversity, including different scaling solutions like optimistic rollups and zk-rollups, strengthens the ecosystem. Different approaches ensure Ethereum adapts and grows sustainably.

In nature, plants use a decentralized system to thrive. The Wood Wide Web of roots and fungi allows plants to share resources and support each other. Ethereum mirrors this with its decentralized network, promoting collective action without a central authority.

For me the Infinite Garden isn’t just a metaphor. I like to think of it as the blueprint for a vibrant playground. Like a nation of plants governed by the Article 3, Ethereum thrives on diversity of ideas. Growth doesn’t rest in a single tree, it dances among the leaves of the entire garden.