In response to a post cautioning against diversification, the founder of Ethereum, Vitalik Buterin, vehemently disagreed with the advice and offered his financial insights. Alex’s post referenced Bill Gates’ decision to diversify his portfolio after befriending Warren Buffett, resulting in a current fortune of $138 billion. However, Alex argued that had Gates not diversified, his net worth could have reached a staggering $1.33 trillion.
After Bill Gates became friends with Warren Buffett, he began to diversify his portfolio and sold Microsoft shares. Bill Gates’s fortune today is 138 billion dollars; if he hadn’t diversified, it would be 1.33 trillion dollars. Be careful with diversification and with friends who recommend it.
Buterin cautioned against disregarding diversification and being wary of friends who advocate for it. His financial advice emphasized the benefits of diversification, urging individuals to save and accumulate enough to cover several years of expenses for financial safety, equating it to freedom. He advised investors to find most of their portfolio boring and cautioned against using leverage greater than 2x.
Notably, Buterin’s financial insights are not a new occurrence, as he has previously shared detailed annotations and comprehensive diagrams. His exploration of six fundamental elements—merge, surge, scourge, verge, purge, and splurge—has provided valuable insights into financial strategies.
Ethereum Leap Into Single-Slot Finality
Shifting gears to Ethereum’s recent developments, Buterin highlighted the completion of the merger, a monumental transformation for the platform. The leading smart contract network transitioned from a power-intensive proof-of-work [PoW] consensus mechanism to a more environmentally friendly proof-of-stake [PoS] protocol. This shift significantly reduced the network’s energy consumption, making it a notable milestone in Ethereum’s evolution.
One key aspect Buterin elucidated was Ethereum’s progress in single-slot finality [SSF]. This advancement ensures irreversible changes to blockchain blocks without requiring staking of at least 33% of the total ETH. The move towards SSF enhances Ethereum’s efficiency while simultaneously diminishing its carbon footprint, contributing to a more sustainable and eco-friendly blockchain network.