Subcultures have always been an important part of society, playing a significant role in defining the times we live in. A couple of months ago, I watched this interview with an artist BFRND, saying:

Today the genre and the subcultures are dead, and people don’t want to say I am Goth or Punk or whatever; we are inclined to define our single identity with the social media username, influenced by a single standard of “Kardashians” and this contradicts to the birth of the subcultural diversity.

As if the 2000s period has gone pale without much distinction between the scenes behind our photos on a green screen. This cultural void was marked by a neglect of the sense of belonging and identity of those who may feel alienated or marginalized within the larger society. As a result, it could be argued that we are currently facing an “identity” crisis in which traditional markers of counterculture movements, such as music, fashion, language, and aesthetics, have lost their potency.

Furthermore, the rise of social media and digital communication has created a new set of challenges. The ability to present a curated version of oneself online can lead to a lack of authenticity and a dilution of subculture values. However, it’s important to recognize that the internet has become a platform for the next social formations and individual expressions.

But, it is possible that we have reached the vertex of the current internet, where the unilateral username defines the mainstream form. This internet interaction does not allow us to be brave enough to push the boundaries of our alternative values.

Fortunately, there is a counterculture movement emerging that challenges the homogenization of the current digital landscape. Although this movement is in its early stages of formation and definition, it is already demonstrating alternative ways to break away from the limitations of the unilateral culture and give rise to the formation of subcultures and individual diversities.

At first, the idea of NFTs might seem strange and the collectible profile pictures or credentials issued by anonymous users might be easily dismissed. However, NFTs represent a new form of artifact formation that is crucial in the formation and definition of subcultures. While it may take time to fully understand and appreciate the significance of this technology, it has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about cultural artifacts and their role in subculture formation.

Cultural artifacts can be seen as material codes, systems of basic cultural categories, or media of tradition and technological evolution. Just as the electric guitar influenced markers of counterculture movements, NFTs, as a new form of digital artifact, have the potential to become a significant symbol of these emerging subcultures.

NFTs mark a new chapter in the evolution of both technology and culture, and their use as artifacts has the power to influence and shape the emergence of new cyber subcultures.

As a unique form of digital artifact, NFTs, SBT, or any credential in the new internet (Web3) are the crucial building blocks of sovereign Identity that can be managed, ported, hidden, distributed, and represented in diverse forms. It will give opportunity for individuals to express themselves in novel ways and to create distinct and authentic identities within online communities ushering in new social structures.

And like BFRND ends: It all becomes a “Dream” where you’re more likely to dream about something you’re not and really create something!

P.S. The Metaverse is not simply a gimmick or a digital playground but a platform for the growth and evolution of these new cybercultural interactions, leading to a diverse range of forms and possibilities that have yet to be fully realized or explored, creating new forms and subcultural practices in the process.