Despite mixed public perception of the crypto space, often marred by skepticism, misconceptions, and high-profile controversies, history has shown that the most transformative technological revolutions are not devoid of challenges or criticisms in their nascent stages. The true potential of crypto isn't in its current imperfections, but in its capacity to fundamentally redefine existing systems, introduce novel mental models and empower new economies.

One of these ways is how brand is built — onchain.

Inevitably, changing value systems are a part of paradigm shifts. It’s apparent that what people value and how people transact changes under different conditions. The nature of crypto protocols, characterized by fundamental differences around ideas like ownership and decentralization, facilitates this delta and so new frameworks and considerations need to be assembled to reflect upon these opportunities.

In a seminal piece titled Hyperstructures, Zora’s cofounder @Jacob posits that the nature of fully onchain blockchain protocols enables the creation of new types of public infrastructure, likely forming the next iteration of the internet, and refers to them as hyperstructures. He defines them as:

crypto protocols that can run for free and forever, without maintenance, interruption or intermediaries.

Read more about them here.

Thanks to @LGHT, an artist, writer and crypto entrepreneur, we can draw the connection between context, culture and protocol to put together what he refers to as a hyperculture:

crypto culture that can grow freely and forever, without maintenance, interruption, or intermediaries… once it has entered the collective mind

His series on Onchain Hypercultures breaks down and observes how relevant contextual conditions that are captured onchain may have the right ingredients to form cultures that grow in perpetuity taking a life of it’s own. His description of the conditions that support opportunities to create new hypercultures is brilliantly dubbed the context-fermentation window.

If hyperstructures are the propulsion systems, hypercultures are the fuel, refined in the process of context-fermentation.

So what is the destination?

Cultural context (i.e. hypercultures), much like a solution, accumulates and intensifies over time, absorbing values, beliefs, and shared experiences. For instance, this is evident in the @Nouns community where numerous projects are dedicated to the development, support and funding of public goods. Over time and sufficient levels of “saturation”, the idea of public goods in web3 has almost become eponymous with the community. A good example of this is how Nouns Prop House positions itself as public infrastructure funded by the DAO.

As this cultural milieu continues to saturate, it approaches a critical threshold — a precipitation point.

Just as a solution reaches a state where it can no longer hold a substance, leading it to form a solid, the hyperculture, when sufficiently enriched, gives rise to something more tangible and enduring. This "solid" manifestation is what I refer to as a hyperbrand.

To start, it's essential to grasp the foundational concept of what a brand truly is.

Marty Neumeier, in the book The Brand Gap, offers a profound yet straightforward definition. He describes a brand not as a mere logo, tagline, or marketing campaign, but as a result. It's the culmination of myriad interactions, experiences, and perceptions. At its core, a brand is an audience member's gut feeling about a particular entity, be it a group, idea, product, service, or company. This perspective shifts the power of definition from the creator or company to the audience. It's not about what you, as a business or individual, proclaim the brand to be; it's about the sentiments, emotions, and perceptions that the audience associates with it. In essence, a brand is your reputation, the intangible yet invaluable asset that determines how you are perceived by those you seek to engage.

From here we can define a hyperbrand as a:

crypto reputation that can proliferate for free and forever, without maintenance, interruption or intermediaries.

Hyperbrands are not born in isolation; they emerge from the fertile grounds of hypercultures when the cultural context has been nurtured and intensified to a certain depth and consistency.

This consistency is not just superficial; it penetrates deep into the collective consciousness, forming a prevailing pattern or impression. It's at this moment that the audience, whether they are members, creators, builders, participants, recipients or followers, begin to resonate with, or at least recognize, this narrative. At a certain point, it goes beyond a scattered set of values, activities or beliefs; it's a solidified identity that occupies a distinct space in their minds and hearts.

In the context of web3 mass adoption, the emergence of a select group of compelling hyperbrands could be the pivotal factor in catalyzing growth. We've seen how customer associations with giants like Amazon, Uber, and Netflix have not only transformed but even created entire markets in the realms of commerce, travel, and entertainment, respectively. This underscores the immense power of branding.

On a macro level, understanding and effectively managing the intricate web of components and values woven into a decentralized hyperbrand's reputation would seem to be an important activity overall. It benefits future classes of onchain hyperbrands to consider how their brand could be a bridge contributing to broader audiences, proving that a strong brand can defy the conventional notion that blockchain-based systems sacrifice accessibility to mainstream internet. Due to it’s nature, a hyperbrand of sufficient mass would break through, surmount the adoption curve, and sustain growth well beyond the confines of the crypto bubble.

Organized effort specifically to establish a reputational baseline can help in many regards:

1. Trust and Credibility: A strong brand inspires trust, enhancing its credibility and attractiveness to potential adopters.

2. Influence and Authority: A recognized brand carries influence and authority, allowing it to shape the direction of its industry.

3. Relationships: It fosters meaningful connections with users and stakeholders, creating a loyal community.

4. Economic Value: Credibility often translates into perceived quality, making the brand more appealing to a wider audience and, in turn, attracting more adopters.

5. Resilience: Brands with strong reputations tend to retain a higher rate of stakeholders during challenging times.

6. Longevity and Sustainability: These brands can outlive their originators through positive-sum iterations, ensuring continued growth and relevance.

The collective impact of hyperbrands extends beyond their immediate allure. They hold the potential to propel the world towards the widespread adoption of web3. These hyperbrands could act as the most approachable, positive-sum ambassadors bridging the gap between the world of blockchain and the broader internet landscape. In the grand scheme of things, they could provide us with a plausible chance to positively influence the collaboration and ownership models of the future. This is not just about the evolution of technology, but a shift in how we perceive value, community, and shared success. The journey towards this future is just beginning, and there are many more stops along the way.

Despite mixed public perception of the crypto space, often marred by skepticism, misconceptions, and high-profile controversies, history has shown that the most transformative technological revolutions are not devoid of challenges or criticisms in their nascent stages. The true potential of crypto isn't in its current imperfections, but in its capacity to fundamentally redefine existing systems, introduce novel mental models and empower new economies.

One of these ways is how brand is built — onchain.

Inevitably, changing value systems are a part of paradigm shifts. It’s apparent that what people value and how people transact changes under different conditions. The nature of crypto protocols, characterized by fundamental differences around ideas like ownership and decentralization, facilitates this delta and so new frameworks and considerations need to be assembled to reflect upon these opportunities.

In a seminal piece titled Hyperstructures, Zora’s cofounder @Jacob posits that the nature of fully onchain blockchain protocols enables the creation of new types of public infrastructure, likely forming the next iteration of the internet, and refers to them as hyperstructures. He defines them as:

crypto protocols that can run for free and forever, without maintenance, interruption or intermediaries.

Read more about them here.

Thanks to @LGHT, an artist, writer and crypto entrepreneur, we can draw the connection between context, culture and protocol to put together what he refers to as a hyperculture:

crypto culture that can grow freely and forever, without maintenance, interruption, or intermediaries… once it has entered the collective mind

His series on Onchain Hypercultures breaks down and observes how relevant contextual conditions that are captured onchain may have the right ingredients to form cultures that grow in perpetuity taking a life of it’s own. His description of the conditions that support opportunities to create new hypercultures is brilliantly dubbed the context-fermentation window.

If hyperstructures are the propulsion systems, hypercultures are the fuel, refined in the process of context-fermentation.

So what is the destination?

Cultural context (i.e. hypercultures), much like a solution, accumulates and intensifies over time, absorbing values, beliefs, and shared experiences. For instance, this is evident in the @Nouns community where numerous projects are dedicated to the development, support and funding of public goods. Over time and sufficient levels of “saturation”, the idea of public goods in web3 has almost become eponymous with the community. A good example of this is how Nouns Prop House positions itself as public infrastructure funded by the DAO.

As this cultural milieu continues to saturate, it approaches a critical threshold — a precipitation point.

Just as a solution reaches a state where it can no longer hold a substance, leading it to form a solid, the hyperculture, when sufficiently enriched, gives rise to something more tangible and enduring. This "solid" manifestation is what I refer to as a hyperbrand.

To start, it's essential to grasp the foundational concept of what a brand truly is.

Marty Neumeier, in the book The Brand Gap, offers a profound yet straightforward definition. He describes a brand not as a mere logo, tagline, or marketing campaign, but as a result. It's the culmination of myriad interactions, experiences, and perceptions. At its core, a brand is an audience member's gut feeling about a particular entity, be it a group, idea, product, service, or company. This perspective shifts the power of definition from the creator or company to the audience. It's not about what you, as a business or individual, proclaim the brand to be; it's about the sentiments, emotions, and perceptions that the audience associates with it. In essence, a brand is your reputation, the intangible yet invaluable asset that determines how you are perceived by those you seek to engage.

From here we can define a hyperbrand as a:

crypto reputation that can proliferate for free and forever, without maintenance, interruption or intermediaries.

Hyperbrands are not born in isolation; they emerge from the fertile grounds of hypercultures when the cultural context has been nurtured and intensified to a certain depth and consistency.

This consistency is not just superficial; it penetrates deep into the collective consciousness, forming a prevailing pattern or impression. It's at this moment that the audience, whether they are members, creators, builders, participants, recipients or followers, begin to resonate with, or at least recognize, this narrative. At a certain point, it goes beyond a scattered set of values, activities or beliefs; it's a solidified identity that occupies a distinct space in their minds and hearts.

In the context of web3 mass adoption, the emergence of a select group of compelling hyperbrands could be the pivotal factor in catalyzing growth. We've seen how customer associations with giants like Amazon, Uber, and Netflix have not only transformed but even created entire markets in the realms of commerce, travel, and entertainment, respectively. This underscores the immense power of branding.

On a macro level, understanding and effectively managing the intricate web of components and values woven into a decentralized hyperbrand's reputation would seem to be an important activity overall. It benefits future classes of onchain hyperbrands to consider how their brand could be a bridge contributing to broader audiences, proving that a strong brand can defy the conventional notion that blockchain-based systems sacrifice accessibility to mainstream internet. Due to it’s nature, a hyperbrand of sufficient mass would break through, surmount the adoption curve, and sustain growth well beyond the confines of the crypto bubble.

Organized effort specifically to establish a reputational baseline can help in many regards:

1. Trust and Credibility: A strong brand inspires trust, enhancing its credibility and attractiveness to potential adopters.

2. Influence and Authority: A recognized brand carries influence and authority, allowing it to shape the direction of its industry.

3. Relationships: It fosters meaningful connections with users and stakeholders, creating a loyal community.

4. Economic Value: Credibility often translates into perceived quality, making the brand more appealing to a wider audience and, in turn, attracting more adopters.

5. Resilience: Brands with strong reputations tend to retain a higher rate of stakeholders during challenging times.

6. Longevity and Sustainability: These brands can outlive their originators through positive-sum iterations, ensuring continued growth and relevance.

The collective impact of hyperbrands extends beyond their immediate allure. They hold the potential to propel the world towards the widespread adoption of web3. These hyperbrands could act as the most approachable, positive-sum ambassadors bridging the gap between the world of blockchain and the broader internet landscape. In the grand scheme of things, they could provide us with a plausible chance to positively influence the collaboration and ownership models of the future. This is not just about the evolution of technology, but a shift in how we perceive value, community, and shared success. The journey towards this future is just beginning, and there are many more stops along the way.