GBM Auctions to Host Memorabilia Charity Auction with Polkadot Creator Dr. Gavin Wood

Jake Scott
GBM Bid-to-Earn Auction
3 min readMay 6, 2024

We are thrilled to announce a historic collaboration event with Dr. Gavin Wood, co-founder of Ethereum and creator of Polkadot and Kusama, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the publication of the Ethereum Yellow Paper and the recent release of the JAM Gray Paper.

This event will feature three auctions for iconic pieces of blockchain memorabilia, representing pivotal moments in the world of blockchain technology. The online auctions, hosted at https://gavinwood.gbm.auction are slated to commence on May 16th, 2024, during the ‘Decentralized Lugano’ conference in Switzerland and will run for seven days with the proceeds from these auctions supporting the DEC’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal: (https://www.dec.org.uk/appeal/ukraine-humanitarian-appeal).

This groundbreaking set of auctions will be hosted on the Moonbeam Network, a parachain on Polkadot, utilising Glimmer (GLMR), the native currency of the Moonbeam chain, for bidding.

The remarkable items to be auctioned are:

  • An Ethereum yellow paper annotated and signed by Dr. Gavin Wood, featuring the EIP-150 revision version crucially addressing the aftermath of the infamous 2016 DAO hack attack.
  • An original “Draft 1” version of the Polkadot white paper annotated and signed by Dr. Gavin Wood, presenting the vision for the Polkadot network protocol.
  • A “Draft 0.1.0 Dubai’’ unreleased version of the JAM Grey Paper annotated and signed by Dr. Gavin Wood, of which only 200 copies were ever made and gifted to his inner circle by Dr. Wood himself. This Gray Paper introduces a visionary step towards a more scalable, efficient, and dynamic blockchain network.

Each item represents a unique piece of blockchain history, personally annotated and signed by the author and luminary who coined the universally recognised term “Web 3.0”. We will host the auctions using our innovative Bid-to-Earn system, which has revolutionised the auction experience for the blockchain space and seen over 70,000 auctions ho​​sted and $6M earned by bidders to date.

Hugo McDonaugh, co-founder of GBM Auction, expressed his enthusiasm for this unique opportunity to celebrate these three foundational steps in the journey of Ethereum, Polkadot and blockchain technology with this historic auction. “The Ethereum yellow paper laid the groundwork for a decentralised revolution that has reshaped industries and empowered millions worldwide. The Polkadot white paper introduced a vision for a scalable, interoperable multi-blockchain network, and the JAM gray paper addresses critical issues that have challenged previous decentralised systems with a new protocol facilitating a more connected and coordinated ecosystem”, said McDonaugh. “This auction is a tribute to the pioneers who contributed to Ethereum’s journey and a celebration of its enduring legacy ten years on”.

As a gesture of solidarity and support for those in need, Dr. Gavin Wood is donating the proceeds of the auction to the Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC). The DEC provides essential assistance such as food, water, shelter, and healthcare to families in Ukraine and refugees in neighbouring countries. Known for its transparency, the DEC ensures that funds are utilised effectively to address the urgent needs of those affected by crises.

We invite esteemed technology and blockchain collectors to participate in this historic event while making a meaningful contribution to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.

For more information about the auction and to find out how to participate, please visit https://gavinwood.gbm.auction

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Jake Scott
GBM Bid-to-Earn Auction

I've been passionate about blockchain, cryptocurrency and digital assets since 2013. Working with Web3 platforms has been a fantastic experience!