What I Learned About Crypto’s Future From Basecamp and FWBFest

In the Idyllwild mountains of California, a community of technologists, artists, and optimists have thrown themselves into the future. I had the opportunity to spend the last two days at Basecamp, Base’s summer retreat, followed by two more days at FWB FEST (Friends With Benefits’ annual gathering), where nearly 1,000 attendees enjoyed music, art, and ideas while exploring the boundaries of on-chain technology and culture. These experiences gave me insights into the future of blockchain. Here are my six key takeaways.

Subculture-market fit in blockchains

These events confirmed a thesis I had come to believe: Mass adoption of blockchains will come when people outside of the existing crypto community use our tools to create or support their own niches. This concept relies on new adopters using blockchains to spread value and drive trust within their own communities, just as the first crypto cohort did. New adopters will not join a single monolithic onchain community; instead, they will perhaps create their own. Despite these various creations, we will all remain connected to the underlying blockchain, making “onchain” a verb for human connection.

Interestingly, the crypto social layer inherits more from the protocol layer than we often realize. Just as our codebases begin to exhibit modularity, so too will our cultural bases, because building modularly expands the scope of what can be built in the first place, thus inviting more contributors.

This fundamental principle of blockchains allows individuals to participate in their preferred subculture without being disconnected from the whole. In an increasingly fragmented world, blockchains’ shared global ledgers keep us connected. I look forward to seeing more modularity, both culturally and technically, sprouting into larger ecosystems like Ethereum.

To dig deeper into the idea of ​​subcultures, I recommend the article Paul Dylan Ennis wrote for CoinDesk.

The word of 2024 is ‘interoperability’

When we bring together people from all walks of life in the crypto world, one theme stands out: user experience, which is closely related to the concept of interoperability.

The dictionary defines interoperability as:

The ability of computer systems or software to exchange and use information.

The ability of military equipment or groups to operate together.

Both definitions are compatible with blockchains. From a technical perspective, interoperability allows different systems, protocols, and applications to exchange and use information seamlessly. Imagine navigating blockchains as effortlessly as changing websites without changing your WiFi router.

The social layer, on the other hand, facilitates interoperability, coordination and collaboration between various groups in the space. It allows different user groups (developers, artists, investors, community builders) to work together harmoniously and combine their efforts to build something truly special and enduring.

Interoperability in blockchains therefore enables the seamless transfer and distribution of various types of capital: financial, technical, cultural, and human. By enabling chains, applications, and people to collaborate, interoperability makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

Stubborn block area on the rise

“There will be neutral block space and there will also be opinionated block space,” said Tiago Sada, Product Manager at Worldcoin, during a Superchain panel hosted at the FWB festival alongside BASE, Optimism, and Worldcoin.

A stubborn block space means less copy-paste implementation and more cutting-edge innovation, and Interoperability allows for maximum composability across diverse, stubborn blockchains. Previously compartmentalized views can now coexist and merge in open gardens or, as the Optimism collective envisions, into a single, large superchain.

A neutral ground is needed

When different skill sets come together, magic happens. Basecamp and FWBFest were showcases of such mergers. At these events, we saw companies working together to combine their experiences and provide more value to the end user – different companies/protocols helping each other and not feeling territorial was a joy to witness.

Leaders like Jesse Pollak, Base’s first contributor, represent the synergy that can exist across the different realms of the crypto world. His dual expertise as a community builder and protocol leader has translated into success for Base. While not everyone needs to be Jesse (he’s 1-for-1), many in the crypto world can achieve similar success by combining or strengthening both worlds.

While specialized conferences (NFT conferences, hackathons, enterprise conferences) are essential, so are generalized open spaces where makers, artists, users, and hobbyists can mingle. We need more neutral spaces like Basecamp and FEST to happen more consistently both online and in real life.

Culture is a lived experience

Words can imitate experiences, but they can never truly replicate them. It was a pleasure to meet people at these events, and I found myself wondering, “What does culture even mean?” When I thought about it, I realized that culture is an experience lived between groups of people, and I am grateful to feel that.

The challenge now is to scale this culture. My excitement for decentralized social networks lies in their potential to multiply this sense of community on-chain, creating lifelong connections that are trustworthy, global, and spontaneous.

To truly scale this culture, we need more on-chain worlds that resonate with the experiences we value in the Web2 space—the concerts, coffee dates, and late-night chats that shape our lives. These moments of connection are the foundation of culture, and Web3 should strive to capture the same essence by seamlessly intertwining the physical and digital worlds.

The beauty of being on-chain is the ability to connect us with an underlying technology that enhances, rather than overshadows, those experiences, making every interaction feel meaningful and authentic. By bringing the spontaneity and intimacy of our Web2 experiences to the on-chain space, we can create a vibrant, lived-in culture that feels as natural as we’ve always known it.

The value of difficult questions

An under-appreciated aspect of multi-curator events is the harder questions that often arise. This is not only healthy for the industry moving forward, but also for us. We should use the hard questions as a starting point for thinking.

Why is the adoption rate so low despite the tools being incredibly powerful?

Are we building things that people actually want?

Do we incorporate people’s feedback into our products?

How can we make DAOs more inclusive?

Events that do not solely center around panels and pre-determined interviews, but instead allow audiences to openly discuss and ask questions, are an important tool to ensure future success; these spaces allow everyone to be a stakeholder in the future of crypto.

As we move forward, the lessons learned from Basecamp and FWBFest highlight an important truth: the future of crypto is about inclusivity, collaboration, and constant dialogue. By fostering environments where diverse ideas and perspectives can thrive, we can build a blockchain ecosystem that is not only technically robust but also rich in culture and human connection. Let’s embrace this journey together, ensuring every voice is heard and every innovation is celebrated. Decentralized systems can benefit greatly by listening to the people they decentralize, and it’s great to see progress being made in this area through events like this.

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If you want to contact Binji, you can find him on X or Farcaster.

Note: The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not reflect the opinions of CoinDesk, Inc. or its owners and affiliates.