The Aspirations and Claims of Crypto & Web3

Explore crypto and "web3" in terms of the claims made about it. These subclaims fall into six categories about different aspects of either technical, financial or political reconfiguration projects.

Better Economy

• Is bitcoin a currency?
• Are crypto assets a risk to the dollar?
• What type of asset is a crypto token?
• How do we value a crypto token?
• Are crypto assets a systemic risk to the economy?
• Is bitcoin the basis for a new gold standard?
• Are crypto assets a bubble?
• Are crypto assets a form of gambling?
• Are crypto tokens an inflation hedge?
• Is private money a desirable system?
• Is bitcoin compataible with ESG investing?

Better Society / Financial Inclusion

• What consumer protections exist for crypto assets?
• Are crypto assets a form of predatory inclusion?
• Is crypto a solution for the unbanked?
• Is crypto providing faster payment rails or better remittance services?
• Are NFTs good for artists?
• What is the narrative economics of crypto assets?
• Are crypto assets legal?
• Are crypto tokens a negative-sum investment?
• Why do people invest in crypto tokens?
• Why does crypto have such a weird subculture?

Financial Liberty

• Is an unregulated transnational payment rail even desirable?
• Are crypto tokens a hedge against the "debasement" of the dollar?
• Are crypto tokens a means to counter authoritarianism?
• Can I raise money for my non-profit using crypto tokens?
• Can I do a crowdfunded equity raise for my company using crypto tokens?

Solving Public Goods Problems

• Is crypto a means to fund public goods projects?
• Is bitcoin mining harmful to the environment?
• Is crypto bringing about the "financialization of everything"?
• Is crypto a giant misallocation of resources with an enormous opportunity cost?

Financial Innovation

• Is the underlying technology of "blockchain" useful for non-monetary purposes?
• Is web3 even a well-defined term?
• Is web3 green?
• Is web3 decentralized?
• Is web3 the next generation of the internet?

Creative Destruction

• Is web3 a means to dismantle the American tech hegemony?
• Is web3 a means to rebuild the global financial system?
• Are crypto tokens a means to accelerate the collapse of capitalism?

Taxonomy of Aspirations and Claims