Crypto is a fantastic space, warm, community-driven, and welcoming. However, there is an issue that detracts from its strengths and it has been prevalent ever since Bitcoin had company. Tribalism within crypto is a blight that errodes the otherwise fantastic community, funneling people into lanes. This is a self-serving mentality that doesn’t help move blockchain forward as a whole.
Token Gamer and NFT Insider have decided to combine forces to launch a weekly podcast, Mint One (formerly WAX Lyrical). John Nichols of NFT Insider and I will discuss a new topic every week, as well as feature special guests. If there’s a topic you’d like us to cover, make sure you let us know through the Token Gamer Discord or Twitter, or the NFT Insider Discord or Twitter.
In the last episode, we discussed whether or not creators of NFTs and blockchain games ought to be completely anonymous. This week, we dive into tribalism within crypto and the effects of it.
Episode 20: Is Tribalism in Crypto Holding Us Back?
Last month, I wrote an article for NFT Insider on the topic of tribalism in crypto and how it can and will negatively impact the future of the space. This spawned a lot of discussion on the topic and so John and I decided to dedicate an episode to picking apart the topic and our hopes for the future.
For those unsure about what tribalism really refers to, it’s similar to Bitcoin maximalism; the belief that one blockchain is the right chain and everything else is not worth anything. This began — at least in my experience — when Ethereum started getting some traction and Bitcoin fans were heavily critical. Now, we see it with every chain, even layer 2s.
This insular and close-minded thinking is not conducive to a florishing space and is all the more counterintuitive given the rise in interoperability between chains and the number of bridges being built. Of course, the motivation for championing one chain and damning another is financial, almost always, but it needn’t be. The smart money says that crypto moving forward is more benefitial than the granular victories between chains. There is even a recent example that epitomizes why tribalism is nonsensical if you’re interested in the furtherment of blockchain.
As I mention in this week’s episode of Mint One, 2021 saw the DappRadar games charts dominated primarily by two chains: WAX and BNB (Binance Smart Chain). On paper, they’re rivals fighting for the same piece of blockchain gaming real estate. In actuality, they were in talks to bridge between the two ecosystems for Blockchain Brawlers. Interoperability between chains and games straddling multiple chains is in vogue at present and that looks set to continue, so each chains’ discliples need to open their mind and leave tribalism behind.
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To listen to Mint One, you can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor, and Google Podcasts.
