Most Influential 2021: Danny Ryan

Did Danny Ryan, a researcher at the Ethereum Foundation, make ETH “super sound money?” The jury is still out. More data needs to be collected to determine how deflationary the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization may have become following a network update Ryan led.

This summer, Ethereum’s much-anticipated London hard fork went live. And with it, Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) 1559, 3554, 3529, 3198 and 3541, or code upgrades that aimed to improve the Ethereum network’s user experience and value proposition. Most notable was EIP 1559, a change to the network’s gas protocol, which even if it didn’t make Ethereum burn more coins than it mints, made transaction fees more predictable.

Ryan also played a major role in the 2020 launch of the Beacon chain, the first step toward Ethereum 2.0, or the ambitious plan to move Ethereum to proof-of-stake. There’s more coming down the pike.

The Complete List: CoinDesk’s Most Influential 2021

CoinDesk - Unknown — (Kevin Ross/CoinDesk)

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

CoinDesk Staff

Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.