How do we bring billions of people onchain?
Inspired by Guns, Germs, & Steel by Jared Diamond, here are key lessons from history that onchain builders can learn from.
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👨‍💻 Builder of many things and @ApyVision. Core Apparel Developer at 
https://x.com/ba5edmerchstore

History shows that new technology isn’t enough. Even if something is faster, cheaper, or more powerful, people won’t automatically adopt it.
We need to understand what makes adoption happen and what slows it down. There are four key factors:

2. Social value & prestige 👑
Sometimes, status matters more than economics.
Think designer clothes - people pay more, not because they have to, but because they want to.
How do we make being onchain feel prestigious? A status symbol? Something people aspire to?

3. Vested interests 🏛️
Even if a new technology is better, old players with power will fight to keep things the way they are.
Example: British cities stuck with gas lighting in the 1920s while others moved to electric. Why? The government had too much invested in gas and placed regulatory obstacles in the way of the competing electric light companies. Sound familiar? Regulations slowed crypto down for years, but the tides are shifting.

4. Easy to see the benefits 👀
People need to experience the advantages firsthand.
If an invention stays in a niche bubble, it won’t spread. How do we make onchain apps go viral outside of crypto? The internet needed apps like Google and Facebook. What’s the onchain equivalent?

These four factors shaped the spread of past technologies. They’ll shape crypto adoption too.We need to:
✅ Make the benefits super clear
✅ Increase social prestige
✅ Push through regulatory obstacles
✅ Create apps that go viral

What are our action items for these factors? Would love to know what you think.

1. Economic advantage 💰
People switch when the new thing is clearly better than the old one.
Onchain gives:
✅ Cheap & fast transactions
✅ Permissionless access
✅ True asset ownership and more...
But are we explaining these benefits in a way that makes sense to everyday people? The UX must be as smooth or smoother than what they’re already using.