Current money is a "shrinking measuring tape" that erodes the dignity of the most vulnerable. SAWA is a radical redesign: a currency anchored not to bank promises, but to a basket of essential human needs. Governed by democratic Citizens’ Assemblies and powered by Web3, it ensures a stable "capability floor" through soulbound tokens. It’s time for money to serve people, not just institutions.

Current money is a "shrinking measuring tape" that erodes the dignity of the most vulnerable. SAWA is a radical redesign: a currency anchored not to bank promises, but to a basket of essential human needs. Governed by democratic Citizens’ Assemblies and powered by Web3, it ensures a stable "capability floor" through soulbound tokens. It’s time for money to serve people, not just institutions.

IntroductionThe Optimism Collective has pioneered governance experiments through its unique two-house model that balances token holder interests with community-driven legitimacy. I also had the chance to work with the foundation to pionner a new approach to governance: Deliberative governance (see: https://gov.optimism.io/t/when-is-deliberation-useful-for-optimism-governance/9142). This is why I focus in this paper on a case of governance in the optimism ecosystem. In June 2025, the Collectiv...

IntroductionThe Optimism Collective has pioneered governance experiments through its unique two-house model that balances token holder interests with community-driven legitimacy. I also had the chance to work with the foundation to pionner a new approach to governance: Deliberative governance (see: https://gov.optimism.io/t/when-is-deliberation-useful-for-optimism-governance/9142). This is why I focus in this paper on a case of governance in the optimism ecosystem. In June 2025, the Collectiv...

This article introduces the concept of Syntropolis—a global, inclusive, and decentralized democratic polity built upon synthetic intelligence and sustained by equitable AI revenue sharing. Moving beyond the notion of artificial intelligence, Syntropolis envisions a future structured through syntropy: the organization of systems toward higher order, cooperation, and inclusivity.

This article introduces the concept of Syntropolis—a global, inclusive, and decentralized democratic polity built upon synthetic intelligence and sustained by equitable AI revenue sharing. Moving beyond the notion of artificial intelligence, Syntropolis envisions a future structured through syntropy: the organization of systems toward higher order, cooperation, and inclusivity.

Executive SummaryWe are entering an era in which synthetic intelligence and robotics will become foundational to global productivity, infrastructure, and economic organization. This whitepaper introduces a startup vision for a decentralized, tokenized robotics ecosystem that uses blockchain and decentralized deliberative governance to coordinate funding, revenue-sharing, and governance across globally distributed stakeholders. By combining Web3 principles with open hardware and AI-driven robo...

Executive SummaryWe are entering an era in which synthetic intelligence and robotics will become foundational to global productivity, infrastructure, and economic organization. This whitepaper introduces a startup vision for a decentralized, tokenized robotics ecosystem that uses blockchain and decentralized deliberative governance to coordinate funding, revenue-sharing, and governance across globally distributed stakeholders. By combining Web3 principles with open hardware and AI-driven robo...

Rethinking Ownership and Governance for a More Equitable EconomyFor decades, the dominant model of business success has been clear: grow fast, attract investment, and eventually exit—whether through an acquisition, an initial public offering (IPO), or some other sale that benefits early investors and founders. While this model has generated immense wealth, it has also left workers, customers, and communities behind. The organizations that people help build are too often sold to the highest bi...

Rethinking Ownership and Governance for a More Equitable EconomyFor decades, the dominant model of business success has been clear: grow fast, attract investment, and eventually exit—whether through an acquisition, an initial public offering (IPO), or some other sale that benefits early investors and founders. While this model has generated immense wealth, it has also left workers, customers, and communities behind. The organizations that people help build are too often sold to the highest bi...

In an era where human activities profoundly impact the planet, there is an increasing recognition of the need to include the more-than-human world—comprising animals, ecosystems, and natural entities—in governance processes. Integrating AI agents, blockchain technology, and deliberative practices offer in my view a promising pathway to amplify the voices of these non-human stakeholders and ensure that their interests are considered in decision-making. In the other way, it can allow Humans to ...

In an era where human activities profoundly impact the planet, there is an increasing recognition of the need to include the more-than-human world—comprising animals, ecosystems, and natural entities—in governance processes. Integrating AI agents, blockchain technology, and deliberative practices offer in my view a promising pathway to amplify the voices of these non-human stakeholders and ensure that their interests are considered in decision-making. In the other way, it can allow Humans to ...

IntroductionWeb3 represents the next evolution of the internet, characterized by decentralization, and ownership. Unlike its predecessors, Web3 aims to empower users by eliminating intermediaries and giving individuals control over their data and assets. Most of the current discussion in the space – beyond the noise of scams and hacks – revolves around the competition between tech stacks and approaches: EVM vs BPF vs CosmWASM, L1 vs L2, monolithic vs parallel, etc. The competition between cha...

IntroductionWeb3 represents the next evolution of the internet, characterized by decentralization, and ownership. Unlike its predecessors, Web3 aims to empower users by eliminating intermediaries and giving individuals control over their data and assets. Most of the current discussion in the space – beyond the noise of scams and hacks – revolves around the competition between tech stacks and approaches: EVM vs BPF vs CosmWASM, L1 vs L2, monolithic vs parallel, etc. The competition between cha...

What if collective decision making could be imagined as a big lego game? Answer: It can.

What if collective decision making could be imagined as a big lego game? Answer: It can.

IntroductionWeb3 presents a unique opportunity to redefine value distribution and community engagement through mechanisms like airdrops. However, the challenge lies in crafting these mechanisms to be fair and effective. This note proposes a solution rooted in democratic deliberation: utilizing citizens' assemblies to design the criteria for airdrops, ensuring they reflect the collective will and diversity of the community they aim to serve and reducing the attack surface for critics.The ...

IntroductionWeb3 presents a unique opportunity to redefine value distribution and community engagement through mechanisms like airdrops. However, the challenge lies in crafting these mechanisms to be fair and effective. This note proposes a solution rooted in democratic deliberation: utilizing citizens' assemblies to design the criteria for airdrops, ensuring they reflect the collective will and diversity of the community they aim to serve and reducing the attack surface for critics.The ...

SummaryI propose piloting a Citizens’ Assembly process to support badgeholders in the assessment and voting process of the 4th round of Retro public good funding. This assembly would allow us to overcome the most blatant shortcomings of the RPGF3 process. It would refocus the process from collected intelligence to collective intelligence.What is the RPGF of the Optimism collectiveFor readers not familiar with the Retro public good funding (RPGF) process, here is a short introduction. For othe...

SummaryI propose piloting a Citizens’ Assembly process to support badgeholders in the assessment and voting process of the 4th round of Retro public good funding. This assembly would allow us to overcome the most blatant shortcomings of the RPGF3 process. It would refocus the process from collected intelligence to collective intelligence.What is the RPGF of the Optimism collectiveFor readers not familiar with the Retro public good funding (RPGF) process, here is a short introduction. For othe...

Populism wins not by delivering better policy but by providing what liberal democracies have stopped offering: identity, belonging, meaning, recognition. This isn't irrational—it reflects our evolved nature. Humans are wired for face-to-face cooperation; physical co-presence triggers oxytocin release and neural synchronization essential for trust and collective action. Digital spaces cannot replicate this, and now face an authentication crisis as AI floods online discourse with synthetic

Populism wins not by delivering better policy but by providing what liberal democracies have stopped offering: identity, belonging, meaning, recognition. This isn't irrational—it reflects our evolved nature. Humans are wired for face-to-face cooperation; physical co-presence triggers oxytocin release and neural synchronization essential for trust and collective action. Digital spaces cannot replicate this, and now face an authentication crisis as AI floods online discourse with synthetic

Introduction — What Drago & Laine Get Right (and Miss)I recently read the The Intelligence Curse, by Luke Drago and Rudolf Laine. I found the series of essays very interesting and at the same time questioning. They sound an alarm that also sometimes make me feel ill at ease: once Artificial General Intelligence becomes “general intelligence on tap,” capital can copy super-human labour instead of hiring people, and “powerful actors … will lose their incentives to invest in people.” The authors...

Introduction — What Drago & Laine Get Right (and Miss)I recently read the The Intelligence Curse, by Luke Drago and Rudolf Laine. I found the series of essays very interesting and at the same time questioning. They sound an alarm that also sometimes make me feel ill at ease: once Artificial General Intelligence becomes “general intelligence on tap,” capital can copy super-human labour instead of hiring people, and “powerful actors … will lose their incentives to invest in people.” The authors...