Paragraph

We're grateful for all the writers out there that are courageous enough to share their stories, insights, and ideas with the world. We appreciate you!

To that end, we're back with the 23rd edition of Paragraph Picks, highlighting a few hand-picked pieces of writing we enjoyed over the past week or so.

@danielmcglynn explores the cyclical “bubble dynamics” of Bitcoin, emphasizing how its boom-and-bust patterns, driven by halving events and market psychology, contribute to adoption and innovation but also present significant risks for investors caught in the hype.

"It’s also helpful to think that each market cycle is a series of bubbles or a chain of bubbles, that all connect at regular intervals to drive market adoption, development, and innovation."

I write about crypto and the internet at danielmcglynn.com


@danielmcglynn explores the cyclical “bubble dynamics” of Bitcoin, emphasizing how its boom-and-bust patterns, driven by halving events and market psychology, contribute to adoption and innovation but also present significant risks for investors caught in the hype.

"It’s also helpful to think that each market cycle is a series of bubbles or a chain of bubbles, that all connect at regular intervals to drive market adoption, development, and innovation."

https://paragraph.xyz/@open-money/bubble-market-dynamics

@usv's Grace Carney highlights the challenges faced by internet knowledge creators in competing with AI-generated content, proposing a third path where creators retain ownership of their work while using AI tools to enhance engagement and preserve the value of human expertise.

"The future looks like creators combining their expertise with AI in ways that preserve humans’ most valuable assets: their relationships and their ideas."

Union Square Ventures is a venture capital firm based in New York City.

@usv's Grace Carney highlights the challenges faced by internet knowledge creators in competing with AI-generated content, proposing a third path where creators retain ownership of their work while using AI tools to enhance engagement and preserve the value of human expertise.

"The future looks like creators combining their expertise with AI in ways that preserve humans’ most valuable assets: their relationships and their ideas."

https://paragraph.xyz/@in-transit.com/a-third-path

@asha profiles photographer @ozlem, exploring her journey of documenting disappearing cultures, her commitment to preserving human stories through respectful and empathetic photography, and her passion for exploring diverse traditions that connect us through shared human experiences.

"Despite our diversity in beliefs, cultures, and faiths, we share this world, and the only thing we need to do is practice empathy and respect."

Collecting stories at Beams https://paragraph.xyz/@beams ✨ 🔦 Always playing, always learning ✌️ https://deca.art/Ashaverse

Travel and documentary photographer

https://linktr.ee/ozlembykvrn

@1a35e1 examines the evolution of blockchain-based network economies from fixed mechanics to adaptable and autonomous systems, emphasizing the critical role of governance and the need for robust frameworks inspired by Elinor Ostrom’s principles to ensure equitable, resilient, and sustainable digital ecosystems.

"The next generation of network economies will need to be as sophisticated as the challenges they aim to solve, while remaining accessible and beneficial to all participants."

@1a35e1 examines the evolution of blockchain-based network economies from fixed mechanics to adaptable and autonomous systems, emphasizing the critical role of governance and the need for robust frameworks inspired by Elinor Ostrom’s principles to ensure equitable, resilient, and sustainable digital ecosystems.

"The next generation of network economies will need to be as sophisticated as the challenges they aim to solve, while remaining accessible and beneficial to all participants."

https://paragraph.xyz/@1a35e1/on-network-economies

Franklin Mongiove critiques the crypto industry’s obsession with vanity metrics and artificial growth driven by token incentives, calling for a shift toward genuine utility and innovation to deliver meaningful solutions rather than speculative cycles.

"Our ecosystem is built on a house of cards constructed from Discord members, Twitter followers, and token emissions that mean absolutely nothing."

Franklin Mongiove critiques the crypto industry’s obsession with vanity metrics and artificial growth driven by token incentives, calling for a shift toward genuine utility and innovation to deliver meaningful solutions rather than speculative cycles.

"Our ecosystem is built on a house of cards constructed from Discord members, Twitter followers, and token emissions that mean absolutely nothing."

https://paragraph.xyz/@thecostcokid.eth/the-blockchain-illusion-metrics,-mirages,-and-meaningless-growth

@bpetes.eth reflects on the evolving cultural and spiritual significance of crypto tokens, suggesting they are becoming modern symbols of identity, belonging, and ideology, akin to decentralized religions, as people seek meaning in a rapidly changing world.

"In a world desperate for meaning, even a meme can become sacred."

@bpetes.eth reflects on the evolving cultural and spiritual significance of crypto tokens, suggesting they are becoming modern symbols of identity, belonging, and ideology, akin to decentralized religions, as people seek meaning in a rapidly changing world.

"In a world desperate for meaning, even a meme can become sacred."

https://paragraph.xyz/@bpetes.eth/tokens-as-the-seeds-of-new-religions

That's all we have for this week, we hope everyone enjoys the holiday and has some time to catch up on their reading list.

What great writing did we miss? Which writers are you especially grateful for?

We'll catch you next week.

@asha profiles photographer @ozlem, exploring her journey of documenting disappearing cultures, her commitment to preserving human stories through respectful and empathetic photography, and her passion for exploring diverse traditions that connect us through shared human experiences.

"Despite our diversity in beliefs, cultures, and faiths, we share this world, and the only thing we need to do is practice empathy and respect."

https://paragraph.xyz/@beams/framing-humanity-ozlems-journey-through-disappearing-cultures