Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin has defended the role of venture capital in the development of the Ethereum network, despite concerns about value extraction. Lubin highlighted that firms like Paradigm are focused on extracting value from Ethereum while pushing for decentralization, which he views as a positive development. His remarks follow the recruitment of Ethereum researchers Dankrad Feist and Mallesh Pai by Tempo, a blockchain initiative co-founded by Stripe and Paradigm. Lubin's comments come amid industry concerns over Paradigm's influence on Ethereum. However, he interprets the hiring of key researchers as indicative of blockchain's growing mainstream acceptance. Lubin argues that the rise of enterprise blockchains is justified by traditional economic metrics and signifies the industry's maturation. Despite apprehensions about venture capital's impact, Lubin maintains that traditional investment funds are crucial for attracting mainstream capital and sustaining growth.