Tinkerers: This week, all eyes in the digital ecosystem are on Ethereum's "Shapella" upgrade. If successful, it will create certainty around the economics of staked ETH, cementing the role of Ethereum's native asset in portfolios that target long-term returns to innovation. But the backbone of the technological process is not financial mechanics. It is tinkerers. These fiercely independent, curious minds are motivated by a compulsion to experiment, and decentralized networks are a natural home for their energy. Out of the limelight, tinkerers drive progress toward the network's long-term goals. The next step on Ethereum's roadmap will be the "Cancun" upgrade, which includes changes that free up cheaper space for layer-2s to post their data, helping the chain scale towards a better user experience. A necessary improvement. The math enabling the improvement relies on a public ceremony to generate trustworthy randomness. Several tinkerers have taken the matter to heart. One group has sourced randomness from outer space, while a second contributor has built a 3D-printed toy connected to air-gapped computers to post, then delete, the random results it generates. Are these efforts goofy? Frivolous? Sure. But they are examples of curious minds at play. Our long tradition of scientific advancement is littered with zany characters who contributed both technical insights and a playful approach to the pursuit. So, while the financial world sharpens its focus on ETH's yield and liquidity, let's take a moment to acknowledge the tinkerers who drive our experiments forward by playing quietly in the background.