Paragraph

We're back with the 26th edition of Paragraph Picks, highlighting a few hand-selected pieces from the past week or so. 

As we wind toward the end of the year, reflections and predictions become the theme, some of which we tap into with this week's picks.

Check out the posts below and let us know which is your favorite!

@asha interviews @bay-photography, a self-taught photographer known for capturing rare moments in nature and urban landscapes.

"Photography has helped me appreciate the world we live in, from the beauty of Mother Nature to the architectural elements of a city."

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

@naomiii reflects on the value of effort and discipline in mastering a musical instrument, contrasting it with society’s increasing reliance on automation and instant gratification, and argues that meaningful fulfillment often comes from challenging pursuits.

"What if it’s that effort, the labor required to pay close attention, that is making our life feel worthwhile?"

@naomiii reflects on the value of effort and discipline in mastering a musical instrument, contrasting it with society’s increasing reliance on automation and instant gratification, and argues that meaningful fulfillment often comes from challenging pursuits.

"What if it’s that effort, the labor required to pay close attention, that is making our life feel worthwhile?"

https://paragraph.xyz/@cryptonao/effortless

@archetype shares their prediction for the evolving role of AI agents, blockchains, and decentralized systems across various domains, from agent-to-agent interactions and content creation to data markets and privacy advancements.

@archetype shares their prediction for the evolving role of AI agents, blockchains, and decentralized systems across various domains, from agent-to-agent interactions and content creation to data markets and privacy advancements.

https://paragraph.xyz/@archetype/crypto-ai-10-categories-were-watching-in-2025-1

@usv outlines four potential futures shaped by the speed of AI advancement and the openness of foundational models, each offering distinct opportunities for innovation and value creation.

"If models accelerate quickly but within an open ecosystem, we wind up with the wildest scenario of all: lots of super smart and rapidly improving models all interacting with each other at high volume and skill."

@usv outlines four potential futures shaped by the speed of AI advancement and the openness of foundational models, each offering distinct opportunities for innovation and value creation.

"If models accelerate quickly but within an open ecosystem, we wind up with the wildest scenario of all: lots of super smart and rapidly improving models all interacting with each other at high volume and skill."

https://blog.usv.com/four-futures

@brg writes about how Hollywood’s early NFT experiments faltered due to short-term strategies and lack of integration, but the evolution of crypto adoption and fan-centric models like Pudgy Penguins could signal a promising return to NFTs in 2025.

"Pudgy Penguins is showing the entertainment industry how to do it right: community first, layered franchising, and attention value tokenization."

@brg writes about how Hollywood’s early NFT experiments faltered due to short-term strategies and lack of integration, but the evolution of crypto adoption and fan-centric models like Pudgy Penguins could signal a promising return to NFTs in 2025.

"Pudgy Penguins is showing the entertainment industry how to do it right: community first, layered franchising, and attention value tokenization."

https://paragraph.xyz/@in-transit/getting-back-on-the-horse

@tinyrainboot reflects on the tension between preserving human essence and individuality in an increasingly digitized world, questioning whether the surrender to AI and the network mind signifies liberation, dissolution, or loss.

"People will say things to me like, ‘why don’t you digitize and upload all your journals! feed them to an LLM, and see what happens!’ as if it’s a game to hand over your soul like that."

@tinyrainboot reflects on the tension between preserving human essence and individuality in an increasingly digitized world, questioning whether the surrender to AI and the network mind signifies liberation, dissolution, or loss.

"People will say things to me like, ‘why don’t you digitize and upload all your journals! feed them to an LLM, and see what happens!’ as if it’s a game to hand over your soul like that."

https://paragraph.xyz/@tinyrainboot/ego-death-through-network-spirituality

That's all we have for this week — what did we miss?

How about your own personal reflections over this past year? What predictions do you have for next year?

Let us know what you think!

@asha interviews @bay-photography, a self-taught photographer known for capturing rare moments in nature and urban landscapes.

"Photography has helped me appreciate the world we live in, from the beauty of Mother Nature to the architectural elements of a city."

https://paragraph.xyz/@beams/lens-of-wonder-capturing-the-extraordinary-with-brandon-yoshizawa