Is the FUD even real?

Composable: Exploring Crypto’s Building Blocks (an Espresso Pod)

In this episode, hosts Alysia and Ellie tackle Ethereum FUD (fear, uncertainty, and doubt) head-on by rolling a special "Ethereum FUD" die—a special piece of swag that Espresso Systems produced for ETHDenver 2025—and discussing common criticisms of Ethereum.

They cover everything from fee structures and L2 scaling solutions to fragmentation concerns and Ethereum's overall direction, diving into whether the FUD is valid or simply misconceptions and providing a balanced perspective on the challenges and design decisions facing Ethereum as it evolves.

Key topics covered:

Fees Too Low - Discussion of the criticism that low Ethereum fees indicate lack of usage and declining demand

Parasitic L2s - Debate over whether Layer 2 solutions help or harm Ethereum by potentially siphoning value from L1

Fragmentation - Analysis of liquidity and ecosystem fragmentation across multiple L2 chains

No North Star - Examination of claims that Ethereum lacks clear direction compared to competitors like Solana

Validator Economics - How fee levels impact validator profitability and network security

Product Market Fit - Challenges of finding sustainable use cases for blockchain technology

User Experience vs. Decentralization - Trade-offs between ease of use and maintaining decentralized principles

Composable is a bi-weekly podcast exploring crypto's building blocks. Hosted by Alysia and Ellie, and brought to you by Espresso.

Find us on X:
Composable — @composablepod
Alysia — @alysiatech
Ellie — @ellierdavidson