Language is inherently vague, and many of the terms we take for granted lack precise definitions. An interesting thing happened when I explained my concept of onchain reality to a developer friend. His immediate reaction was that I wanted to integrate blockchain technology more closely into everyday life. Ironically, this was exactly the opposite of the core point I was trying to convey.

This prompted me to reflect. I realized that the ambiguity and miscommunication stem largely from the abstract nature of the word reality. My reasoning is based on the opposition between of reality and virtual. While the world we inhabit may be real, human beings are inherently unreliable observers. Our memories blur over time, and different people interpret past events differently depending on their perspectives and values. Communication between humans is notoriously inefficient, and societal norms subtly shape our perceptions. In this sense, we are like brains in a vat. Our experiences, memories, and language are far less reliable than we tend to assume.

If reality is understood as human perception of the world, then blockchain, being a distributed system that crystallizes consensus, naturally has the potential to record objective reality. From this perspective, blockchain is truly a remarkable invention.

I argue that onchain reality does not mean putting our existing reality on the blockchain. Instead, it is about constructing unique interaction protocols within blockchain-based spaces, which spontaneously evolve into crypto-native new definitions of reality. In my earlier article, Warp Drive to Hyperreality, I briefly discussed the first, second, and third realities. I believe we should pursue the first reality rather than the others.

Ethereum has been around for over a decade, and we can now observe a wide range of applications built on smart contracts. This naturally raises a question: how does onchain reality differ from the low-risk DeFi, prediction markets, memecoin launchpads, or SocialFi applications we commonly see today? My answer is that onchain reality is currently a frontier narrative for large-scale decentralized applications. No single app can yet be called a true representation of onchain reality, making it difficult to offer a concrete, intuitive explanation. However, I can describe some of its key characteristics.

First, the ultimate goal of onchain reality is to become Ding an sich built on blockchain, minimizing reliance on any non-decentralized systems.

Second, onchain reality seeks to shape the core logic of the world, rather than focusing on flashy external appearances. Note that rich client experiences can still be built on top of onchain reality protocols.

Third, onchain reality treats all entities interacting through the blockchain’s underlying account model equally. These entities include humans, aliens, artificial intelligence, and complex plugins or scripts.

Fourth, onchain reality requires the construction of additional dimensions to enrich its foundational primitives, enabling the generation of more world content and consistently attracting more participants.

Fifth, different economic systems can be embedded on top of the onchain reality protocol. However, the protocol itself should de-emphasize economics and exist as a public good.

After explaining all this to my friend, he was visibly excited and asked, "So you are basically trying to develop a blockchain-based drug, right?"

I said, "Maybe we are."

Language is inherently vague, and many of the terms we take for granted lack precise definitions. An interesting thing happened when I explained my concept of onchain reality to a developer friend. His immediate reaction was that I wanted to integrate blockchain technology more closely into everyday life. Ironically, this was exactly the opposite of the core point I was trying to convey.

This prompted me to reflect. I realized that the ambiguity and miscommunication stem largely from the abstract nature of the word reality. My reasoning is based on the opposition between of reality and virtual. While the world we inhabit may be real, human beings are inherently unreliable observers. Our memories blur over time, and different people interpret past events differently depending on their perspectives and values. Communication between humans is notoriously inefficient, and societal norms subtly shape our perceptions. In this sense, we are like brains in a vat. Our experiences, memories, and language are far less reliable than we tend to assume.

If reality is understood as human perception of the world, then blockchain, being a distributed system that crystallizes consensus, naturally has the potential to record objective reality. From this perspective, blockchain is truly a remarkable invention.

I argue that onchain reality does not mean putting our existing reality on the blockchain. Instead, it is about constructing unique interaction protocols within blockchain-based spaces, which spontaneously evolve into crypto-native new definitions of reality. In my earlier article, Warp Drive to Hyperreality, I briefly discussed the first, second, and third realities. I believe we should pursue the first reality rather than the others.

Ethereum has been around for over a decade, and we can now observe a wide range of applications built on smart contracts. This naturally raises a question: how does onchain reality differ from the low-risk DeFi, prediction markets, memecoin launchpads, or SocialFi applications we commonly see today? My answer is that onchain reality is currently a frontier narrative for large-scale decentralized applications. No single app can yet be called a true representation of onchain reality, making it difficult to offer a concrete, intuitive explanation. However, I can describe some of its key characteristics.

First, the ultimate goal of onchain reality is to become Ding an sich built on blockchain, minimizing reliance on any non-decentralized systems.

Second, onchain reality seeks to shape the core logic of the world, rather than focusing on flashy external appearances. Note that rich client experiences can still be built on top of onchain reality protocols.

Third, onchain reality treats all entities interacting through the blockchain’s underlying account model equally. These entities include humans, aliens, artificial intelligence, and complex plugins or scripts.

Fourth, onchain reality requires the construction of additional dimensions to enrich its foundational primitives, enabling the generation of more world content and consistently attracting more participants.

Fifth, different economic systems can be embedded on top of the onchain reality protocol. However, the protocol itself should de-emphasize economics and exist as a public good.

After explaining all this to my friend, he was visibly excited and asked, "So you are basically trying to develop a blockchain-based drug, right?"

I said, "Maybe we are."