Speaking at Google Campus Warsaw

In 2018, while working as a full-stack Web3 developer with IOST, I was invited to speak at the newly opened Google for Startups Campus in Warsaw. My talk focused on blockchain consensus mechanisms — specifically Proof of Work and Proof of Stake — their strengths, weaknesses, and how different models shape the performance and trust of decentralized systems. At the time, the blockchain space was maturing quickly, and conversations were shifting from hype to infrastructure. Sharing the stage with other developers and researchers was a career highlight, and it gave me a chance to reflect on how far the technology — and my own work — had come since I started in blockchain back in 2014.

My Role at IOST

IOST (Internet of Services Token) is a blockchain project founded in Asia with the goal of creating a high-throughput, developer-friendly platform for decentralized applications. Unlike many early chains that struggled with scalability, IOST was built to handle large-scale, service-oriented use cases from the start. It focused on performance, sharding, and an innovative consensus model called Proof of Believability (PoB), which aimed to improve efficiency without compromising decentralization.

I was based in the Berlin office, working on full-stack development for Web3 applications, smart-contract integrations, and infrastructure tools that connected developers with IOST’s backend systems. The Berlin team acted as a bridge between the Asian core protocol group and the European developer ecosystem, translating deep technical ideas into real software and developer experience.

My Background as a Developer

I’ve been working in blockchain and software engineering since 2014. My early work was on both front-end and back-end systems, including crypto-exchange infrastructure, wallet integrations, and data pipelines. Over time, that evolved into smart-contract development, Web3 integrations, and building decentralized systems from the ground up.

By the time I joined IOST, my focus had shifted fully toward Web3 — developing interfaces and infrastructure that made blockchain useful beyond speculation. I was involved not only in application development but also in understanding how consensus design affects throughput, latency, and user experience. That technical foundation shaped the talk I gave in Warsaw.

Proof of Work vs Proof of Stake: The Core of the Talk

The presentation broke down two fundamental consensus mechanisms that define how blockchains operate.

Proof of Work (PoW)
Pros: It’s battle-tested and extremely secure. By requiring computational effort, it makes attacks expensive and difficult to coordinate.
Cons: It’s energy-intensive, slow, and increasingly centralized among large mining operations. Scalability is limited, which makes it less practical for applications needing real-time performance.

Proof of Stake (PoS)
Pros: It replaces computation with token ownership, reducing energy costs and improving speed and throughput. It’s a logical step forward from PoW in terms of efficiency.
Cons: It can favor large holders, introduces complex validator economics, and risks centralization if not carefully designed. Governance and incentive mechanisms become critical.

My main point was that consensus isn’t just a background protocol — it’s the foundation that determines performance, security, and trust. For developers, understanding these trade-offs is essential when choosing where and how to build.