Crypto has always been, first and foremost, a movement about social change. Web3 developers like to dive into blockchain technology and their use cases. DeFi savants look for new viable exchanges that won’t turn out to be a rug pull. NFT enthusiasts rave about the next big hype. But at the end of the day, crypto is about trust and corruption. Blockchain itself was invented to push forward economic justice. It’s meant to cut down on the inefficiency and corruption that run deep in our current society.

Decentralised networks have transformed political engagement. Traditional forms of social and political advocacy have been boosted, if not replaced, by organic movements that leverage technology. The Occupy Wall Street movement is a thing of the past, but its legacy remains. A more powerful iteration of activism, powered by blockchain, has emerged and we simply can’t ignore it.

As a global resistance movement that began in 2011, Occupy Wall Street rewrote the entire political activism playbook. It mobilised thousands of activists from different backgrounds to protest against economic inequality and corporate greed. Decision-making structures were decentralised and leaderless. Street demonstrations and general assemblies were organised through social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Popular hashtags at the time centred around the movement. “We are the 99%” became a well-known slogan.

The movement’s success gave rise to other decentralised activism. From the Arab Spring to the Black Lives Matter movement, people have taken to the streets to demand social and political change. Since then, new technologies have continued to reshape the landscape of political engagement. They are enabling decentralised networks of activists to emerge. This is why time-honoured institutions, governments, and the 1% are worried.

With the growing influence of blockchain-powered networks, there’s now more than ever the potential for individuals and groups to participate in decentralised decision-making processes. The 99% of us can now promote social and political change through decentralised applications, DAOs and smart contracts.

We are already seeing this new form of political engagement in the works:

Catalan independence referendum

The Catalan government has been trying to break away from Spain, actively doing so in 2017. At some point, blockchain has been considered an option for the community to cast their ballots securely and anonymously on an independence referendum. At least 90% of voters backed splitting from the rest of Spain in an independence referendum deemed by Madrid as illegal. Since then, the Catalan government is looking to incorporate blockchain technology to improve its public administration. Blockchain is being used to carve out the Catalonian identity and activate political coordination.

Hong Kong protests

The series of demonstrations in 2019 thrusted the city smack in the international spotlight. While COVID-19 briefly put a damper on things, tensions sparked again when China decided to enact the national security law. At first, demonstrators shared information about protest locations and timings through Telegram. The app was frequently blocked by Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing government. Decentralised messaging apps, such as Bridgefy and FireChat, came to the rescue. Protesters could communicate with each other without relying on centralised servers. When the Chinese government dismantled the city’s pro-democracy news platform Apple Daily, cyber activists continued to cover the protests on censorship-proof blockchain apps. LikeCoin, a decentralised publishing platform built on the Cosmos chain, was largely used to archive all that has taken place from the start.

These examples show that grassroots political activities can be coordinated even when conventional forms of communication were blocked or censored by central authorities. With traditional platforms, the 1% gets to dictate narratives. With blockchain, the voices of the 99% can be heard.

It’s not all perfect, though. Limitations and challenges still stand, such as the potential for decentralised networks to be co-opted by dominant actors. Take Venezuela for example. The government launched the Petro cryptocurrency to bypass US economic sanctions and raise funds for social programmes. Instead, critics argue that Petro is a tool for political oppression. It’s seen as a way for the Venezuelan government to go around traditional financial systems, tightening its grip on the country’s economy.

Another challenge is that decentralised networks can become so fragmented and isolated, leading to an overall lack of coordination and effectiveness. Yet, nothing and nobody gets it right from the start. We all have to begin somewhere.

It’s clear that anti-government sentiment has been on the rise globally. The world society has been relying on governments and major corporations setting and enforcing rules. We are stuck with many of these corrupt institutions as a given in our lives. The modern democracy we have grown up with is now obsolete. So let’s rebuild a world of transparency and accountability.

Blockchain technology can work to allow anyone to access and verify immutable and tamper-proof records of transactions and interactions. Decision-making processes have the potential to be fair and consistent. All stakeholders can have an equal voice. We are increasingly seeing a working prototype of a more democratic and inclusive form of governance. Everyone has an equal say in things that affect their lives.

We need to embrace a new era of engagement. A future where everyone has a voice and where the power to effect change is distributed more evenly.

Crypto has always been, first and foremost, a movement about social change. Web3 developers like to dive into blockchain technology and their use cases. DeFi savants look for new viable exchanges that won’t turn out to be a rug pull. NFT enthusiasts rave about the next big hype. But at the end of the day, crypto is about trust and corruption. Blockchain itself was invented to push forward economic justice. It’s meant to cut down on the inefficiency and corruption that run deep in our current society.

Decentralised networks have transformed political engagement. Traditional forms of social and political advocacy have been boosted, if not replaced, by organic movements that leverage technology. The Occupy Wall Street movement is a thing of the past, but its legacy remains. A more powerful iteration of activism, powered by blockchain, has emerged and we simply can’t ignore it.

As a global resistance movement that began in 2011, Occupy Wall Street rewrote the entire political activism playbook. It mobilised thousands of activists from different backgrounds to protest against economic inequality and corporate greed. Decision-making structures were decentralised and leaderless. Street demonstrations and general assemblies were organised through social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Popular hashtags at the time centred around the movement. “We are the 99%” became a well-known slogan.

The movement’s success gave rise to other decentralised activism. From the Arab Spring to the Black Lives Matter movement, people have taken to the streets to demand social and political change. Since then, new technologies have continued to reshape the landscape of political engagement. They are enabling decentralised networks of activists to emerge. This is why time-honoured institutions, governments, and the 1% are worried.

With the growing influence of blockchain-powered networks, there’s now more than ever the potential for individuals and groups to participate in decentralised decision-making processes. The 99% of us can now promote social and political change through decentralised applications, DAOs and smart contracts.

We are already seeing this new form of political engagement in the works:

Catalan independence referendum

The Catalan government has been trying to break away from Spain, actively doing so in 2017. At some point, blockchain has been considered an option for the community to cast their ballots securely and anonymously on an independence referendum. At least 90% of voters backed splitting from the rest of Spain in an independence referendum deemed by Madrid as illegal. Since then, the Catalan government is looking to incorporate blockchain technology to improve its public administration. Blockchain is being used to carve out the Catalonian identity and activate political coordination.

Hong Kong protests

The series of demonstrations in 2019 thrusted the city smack in the international spotlight. While COVID-19 briefly put a damper on things, tensions sparked again when China decided to enact the national security law. At first, demonstrators shared information about protest locations and timings through Telegram. The app was frequently blocked by Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing government. Decentralised messaging apps, such as Bridgefy and FireChat, came to the rescue. Protesters could communicate with each other without relying on centralised servers. When the Chinese government dismantled the city’s pro-democracy news platform Apple Daily, cyber activists continued to cover the protests on censorship-proof blockchain apps. LikeCoin, a decentralised publishing platform built on the Cosmos chain, was largely used to archive all that has taken place from the start.

These examples show that grassroots political activities can be coordinated even when conventional forms of communication were blocked or censored by central authorities. With traditional platforms, the 1% gets to dictate narratives. With blockchain, the voices of the 99% can be heard.

It’s not all perfect, though. Limitations and challenges still stand, such as the potential for decentralised networks to be co-opted by dominant actors. Take Venezuela for example. The government launched the Petro cryptocurrency to bypass US economic sanctions and raise funds for social programmes. Instead, critics argue that Petro is a tool for political oppression. It’s seen as a way for the Venezuelan government to go around traditional financial systems, tightening its grip on the country’s economy.

Another challenge is that decentralised networks can become so fragmented and isolated, leading to an overall lack of coordination and effectiveness. Yet, nothing and nobody gets it right from the start. We all have to begin somewhere.

It’s clear that anti-government sentiment has been on the rise globally. The world society has been relying on governments and major corporations setting and enforcing rules. We are stuck with many of these corrupt institutions as a given in our lives. The modern democracy we have grown up with is now obsolete. So let’s rebuild a world of transparency and accountability.

Blockchain technology can work to allow anyone to access and verify immutable and tamper-proof records of transactions and interactions. Decision-making processes have the potential to be fair and consistent. All stakeholders can have an equal voice. We are increasingly seeing a working prototype of a more democratic and inclusive form of governance. Everyone has an equal say in things that affect their lives.

We need to embrace a new era of engagement. A future where everyone has a voice and where the power to effect change is distributed more evenly.