Opacity

teddit

i agree with @kyle that crypto is financial infra, and it is a big miss if we assume financial = speculation OR financial =/= culture.

the most popular consumer apps are both social and financial:
- flip, whatnot, tiktok: social commerce platforms
- roblox, pokemon go, clash of clans: in-app purchases for virtual goods
- gas, sendit, ngl: premium features for fun, social boosts
- youtube, twitch: tipping, subscriptions, channel memberships

all of these apps integrate financial features to monetize (to survive and grow) without turning the user experience into a casino.

contrast that with apps where speculation is the core experience: draftkings, online poker, sweepstakes casinos, etc. 

in those, winning or losing money is the product. different design choice, different user experience.

financial infra can power commerce, entertainment, creativity, connection outside of pure speculation.

how we communicate and frame the financial part is important, especially when it comes to the purpose of an app.

Here’s a meme that describes how I see this debate.

The verifiability thesis encompasses both views

Working on building zkTLS infra/products. A ruthless empiricist and meme connoisseur.

/opacity
/eulerlagrange