numero #2
The DNA of the blockchain
Crypto-Anarchism, Cypherpunks, and the emergence of NFTs
Crypto Rebels (Wired, 1993)
Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are deeply rooted in political ideology, particularly inspired by the “Crypto Anarchist Manifesto! “ written by Timothy C. May in 1988 and by the “Crypto Glossary! ” co-developed with Eric Hughes in 1992.
Crypto Anarchist Manifesto, Timothy C. May, 1988
Crypto-anarchy merges the concepts of cryptography and anarchy. It employs anonymity and freedom of speech (encryption, untraceable e-mail, digital pseudonyms, cryptographic voting) as well as economic freedom and freedom of trade (peer-to-peer secure transactions) attempting to create a new economic and political order. This ideology aims to foster a more democratic and decentralised digital world. T.C. May stressed that crypto-anarchy does not imply a society devoid of secrets but rather one where individuals safeguard their own secrets without relying on governments or corporations. This core idea captures crypto-anarchy as a decentralized system where individuals preserve autonomy and privacy using cryptography. For May, privacy is a fundamental human right. It is essential for freedom, allowing individuals to express themselves without fear of retribution. Similarly, traditional anarchism advocates for absence of centralized authority while emphasizing individual freedom and self-governance, observed law professor Alesia Zhuk, who enumerated a multitude of parallelisms between these two philosophies. The topic is fairly debated, but some contemporary scholars even view crypto-anarchism as an evolution: the cyber-spatial realization and manifestation of anarchism. In the early-1990s (”A Cypherpunk’s Manifesto! “, E. Hughes, 1993), the principles of crypto-anarchism found significance within the cypherpunk movement, which later influenced the development of Bitcoin. The cypherpunks believed that the internet could serve as a liberating force, allowing individuals to communicate and transact without interference from governments or corporations. The cypherpunks, recognized cryptography as a means to realize their vision, developed encryption technologies like PGP and SSL to facilitate secure online communication and commerce. Additionally, they engaged in political activism aimed at resisting government surveillance and censorship. Popular initiatives included the Chaos Computer Club, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Paralelní Polis project, and Wikileaks. Julian Assange enriched cypherpunk philosophy with antiwar values and Enlightenment ideals.
CryptoPunks, NFT collection, 2017
CryptoPunks, is one of the earliest NFT project launched in June 2017 on the ETH blockchain, by the Larva Labs studio. They are 10,000 unique, algorithmically generated 24x24 pixel art characters. They were inspired by the London punk scenes, the cyberpunk movement, and Daft Punk. CryptoPunks collectors often create communities organizing a variety of cultural activities.
References: Zhuk, A. (2024). Crypto-anarchy: a paradigm shift for society and the legal system. Journal of Computer Virology and Hacking Techniques, 20(4), 697-723. Institute of Cryptoanarchy Anderson, P. D. (2021). Privacy for the weak, transparency for the powerful: The cypherpunk ethics of Julian Assange. Ethics and Information Technology, 23(3), 295-308. https://www.cryptopunks.app/