Cryptoart: Form and Function of Tokenized Blockchain Content

People across platforms and from many countries are participating in an emergent technology whose levels of reality are streamlining digital production and global exchange previously only attainable with the physical durability of trade goods and concerted distribution. Exclusively limiting the functionality to virtual certification of physical works with the use of a blockchain is an undercooked approach. Fittingly, this kind of digital art is commonly considered rare. To gain an in-depth understanding of the phenomenon at hand, a digital content publisher needs to dig deeper than the perceptions of virtual trading cards, to the rooted meaning based on the usage of the concept in other areas of society and internet history. To focus on only no single file portrayal of art as being compatible with the tokenization system limits the observer considerably into legacy base systems when contemplating potential usage and development. That is to say, instead of going with the flow of innovation, continually attempting to retrofit development will lead to sticky situations and potential users will find it difficult to break the surface. Similar to concurrent usage of the medium being important, so too is the interpretation of the multifaceted evolving state of interconnectedness. Ultimately, the token is represented by art; the art is not represented with the token.

The cryptoart movement is still struggling to identify itself by establishing best practices and procedures, while much of the innovation has yet to be unlocked as true potential is untapped. Contrary to the normal meaning of the prefix, in this case, crypto indicates being related to a project using blockchain (or similar) technology as opposed to simply meaning hidden or masked. There are some cryptic details though, that this work aims to tease out. For instance, crypto art would be any physical artwork or digital creative content with a theme or subject nature of cryptocoin technology while contrarily cryptoart is the manifestation or application of similar cryptographic technology for the purpose of establishing sociological functions revolving around cultural expressions in the globally shared immutable digital frontier. At a minimum, to be cryptoart, the nature of the work needs to be bound to some kind of cryptographic or blockchain-based activity as accountability or ownership, opposed to just having crypto as a subject nature or theme. Although fine art paper wallets have been sold under the Cryptoart brand name, the word has taken on greater, deeper meaning and represents a specific social movement in dire need of lexical refinement in order to resist semantic drift and facilitate cohesion beyond buzzword salad. For example, the users of NFTs fail to realize that bitcoin and ethereum are also not fungible. Misnomered cryptocurrencies are not conventional monies in any ways laypeople cannot differentiate.

What widens the digital divide of blockchain technology is the oversaturation of inaccurate metaphors contributing to confusion instead of facilitating understanding. Terms originating from metallurgy, like coins, miners and chains are not insightful as the usages are contrary to the root meanings and convey incomplete imagery. What lies behind the face value is the flip side of the coin. A system of chains is as strong as its weakest links. Mining Bitcoin is more similar to coining a new phrase or term, in that new words introduced to the lexicon are not independently spontaneous, because peer witnessing as reinforcement is a core necessity. Much of the greater living decentralized web is an attempt to eloquently balance the ideals of distributed powers with the opposite, habitual, centralized mentality of convenient authority. As there are many steps to streamlining the digital achievements into societal potential, there is an overemphasis to bypass the middleman in all aspects of the supply chain. To mine, mint, and be your own bank conjures backwards connotations of the gold rush and wild west instead of the gravity of the precipice we stand upon.

The Concept of Tokenization
In linguistics, as well as computing, the concept of tokenization is hinged upon the systematic usage of substitution sets being representative equally altered while leaving the same relationship intact. Tokenization is the creation and use of groups of things less tangible made tangible, or more substantial made virtual, depending on the circumstance. Tokenization is not limited to financial and linguistic definitions. In order to ascertain the fuller meaning, further functionality needs examination. It is a complicated matter as the societal implications of the phenomenon of using a physical artifact as something that represents an abstract are extensive, from associative remote viewing techniques to hobo nickels. The most archaic interpretation of the word would be teach, but today the concept has far-reaching applications. The military challenge coin system exemplifies active societal uses as an universal drinking game, which supersedes the material component’s trade value as metal or the sentimental value as tokens of appreciation given as mementos. The common concept being that learning is done best when participating. In the best case, tokens do things that the author intends for social and economic functions beyond a simple trade settlement tool.

The culture of drinking tokens in the general public differs as the face value is often declared as “good for one drink.” The pocket-sized ability to proselytize a service from a trusted establishment embodies secondary functionality for an unseen value, to such an extent that the reception of these tokens facilitates the transfer of not only libations and shelter but the abstract concept of hospitality. The implied messages of acceptance or durability accompany every exchange of the token commonly referred to as a wooden nickel. These were easy to produce and took the place of promotional incentives which could be redeemed for the backing at the issuer. Conversely, countermarks were historically used as a sign to systematically deface a message into a preminted coin often for political commentary. Superimposing symbols lead to the attachment of abstract ideological messages, often contrary to the issuer’s. Similar to state currency, these service tokens and defacements conventionally contained artwork whose content was limited to the medium.

When physical gaming arcades are brought into the picture often tokens take on a sound and feel of their own and are reminiscent of an age gone by for a wide demographic. Similar to but not quite the same as the sensory immersion of a modern casino setting. For service time redeemable on machines at either location, a user changes money for tokens which could be used in any game within the building. In such situations, one does not expect to be rewarded by removing game tokens from one establishment and attempting redemption in machines for service at another franchise. At this point, the token represents the potential playability in a variable that changes depending on the popularity of the machine in which it is redeemed and is still bound to the house rules.

In an age of digital artwork instead of a monochrome relief, expression can be on multimedia canvas of any size, shape or length of time. Similarly, the service provided can be as complex as a program developed to run on the Turing complete world computer in exchange for bits of condensed mathematical proofs or simple functionality like redemption for goods or services. This virtual transcendence offers a functional upgrade in the utilization of tokens as being goods-as-a-service and cannot be explicitly limited to an ontological declaration of being digital goods alone. Although these things can be owned digitally, there is a fascination with verifiably bonding virtual ownership with physical goods utilizing a secure methodology. The augmentation of the token reaches from virtual space and manifests not only as service but even a physical portrayal of such objects with self-contained private key.

History of Tokenization / Tokenization - From Early Internet Cultures to Cryptoart
As technologies evolved they gained attention and adoption until they broke into household culture. Peer to Peer programs developed into robust intuitive tools alongside a time when compression of data made digital acquisition more accessible and appealing. Social and legal concerns arose from the consequences of the popularity of these platforms because of the potential for content changing hands while avoiding existing copyright holder royalty systems. Out of these controversies, it was determined that these hotly contested, file-trading, program networks were legitimized by novel content which was not restricted by copyright. These platforms provided an alternative to the previously established record label monolith, top-down organization, as underground music manifested a truly successful distributed network not reliant on a central authority, but predicated on freedom of expression embodied in remix culture. Today these physical communities remain after the technology departed the public eye.

At first, the MP3 revolution was a game-changer in the music industry, in that collecting became focused exclusively on the recording and not the object. Success of independent musicians depended upon those who followed the new paradigm of consumers thirsting for more than just the tunes. Musicians sold not only access to performance but other cultural artifacts. Later, the CDR becoming a common appliance led to individuals seizing production of low issuances of recordings. Social movements such as open-source culture and culture jamming reaffirmed this subculture of users who understood the new social currency to be self-made artifacts. Due to the limited means of production and marketing, collectability manifested as limited self-financed productions. Since income dependency should not be based on selling copies or recordings, but tickets and merchandise. Strong interconnected relationships were needed for successful tours. Based on a passion for sharing and publishing art, netlabels may have doubled as venues, recording studios, booking agencies or professional sound equipment aficionados but often relied on the greater community for reinforcement. Connections, made in the entertainment industry, continue as word of mouth is such a utility that it is relied upon when networking for new opportunities for any specialized role. The backing was an earned place in being part of an interconnected web of reliability. The payback was experiential. Social websites also helped virtual communities manifest as ritual meetings but social capital became a reflection of effective reputation building across platforms and physical works.

In this era many individuals took control by fortifying their own entertainment industry supply chain enforced with online equity. This movement is an enlightening example of interdependence, relationship building and grassroots agency. It's important to draw from the concept of mid-level agency, like the net label's function, in order to have a deeper understanding in blockchain tokenization of digital cultural artifacts. Decentralization is understood as the process of going from central to distributed but an overlooked aspect is the multidimensional interplay through overlapping aspects of life. Every person dreams of being the central authority for at least fifteen minutes and a wise one will know his limitations in all other realms.

One of the precursors to Bitcoin, BitTorrent, has a core functionality that is based on the social importance of sharing blocks of data in an environment saturated with leeches. Parasitism, as found in nature, is a nonstop evolutionary arms race. When information should be free, instead of penalizing access, positive reinforcement structures motivated potential hosts to become seeders. Therefore, there is an impetus to facilitate ease of use for adapting tokenized technologies in lieu of relying on ad revenue to monetize sanitized content. Deplatfoming as a means of social control is an evil of centralization that can be eliminated as new structures gain traction.

Ironically, the most grievous issue facing independent musicians over the last two decades has been the loss of tangible aspects of their art when going digital. Although the digital revolution enabled anyone to share anything almost instantly, it did not adequately facilitate the economic exchange necessary for sociological reinforcements of good works. In place of recording sales, artists further relied on the revenue derived from merchandise and ticket sales. A change in society had been manifesting since before cassettes enabled home recordings and self-publishing. By bands allowing recording and trading of shows a subculture flourished around responsible data stewardship further establishing an implicit creative commons. Taper culture conformed to requirements of non-financial transactions by trading specific live recordings for blank tapes.

The Boundaries of Cryptoart
For multimedia, it is useful and succinct to appropriate the explanation of independent music agency as a peer-to-peer success as opposed to virtual fine art galleries. There is something to say about the experiential quality of the art of the recording or performance, in which the observer is bound to a timeline. Unlike visual art, where the analysis varies greatly from person to person, shared experiences add to the collective narrative of the art. The duration is always sequential in occupying a space in time, being ingested during conception or via recording. Similarly, it is almost as if the tokenization of artwork has enabled a unified experience to the users at a base, protocol level by chronicling the series of events. The more reliant the art is on crypto technology, or the more immersed in the crypto experience the art places the user, the greater the qualia of being cryptoart is represented. Services that exclusively offer legacy functionality, such as paying for downloads, royalties or streams with cryptocurrencies, fall short of facilitating cryptoart potential. While allowing users to publish multimedia that may even be exclusive content for that platform, if the works are not tokenized and the system does not allow the replication of the social agency as substitution, then it cannot be considered wholly cryptoart.

This new realm of quantifiably limited cultural artifacts is still rife with misunderstanding. Commonly claimed is the importance of adoption by a wider user base with effective onboarding as being key to success. What unifies multiple different approaches, but still makes the same genre of cryptoart, is that the user experience typifies cryptocoin social values by utilizing system mechanics. A systematic assessment of the level of quality would be to quantify industry methodologies and compare them to the values reflected sociologically within each individual project. For example, empowering trade on the open market can be one such measurement of token fitness. A decentralized ordering system provided on the protocol, where any token can be exchanged for any other token could be considered such a metric, in conjunction with others, to indicate health of a system. This would contrast popular contract use, which centralizes interaction exclusively within walled gardens despite utilizing the same blockchain. If the universal autonomous transfer and exchange of the token for any other token or the base protocol token, cannot be accessed by any participant then the system lacks full distribution potential. The sociological momentum behind the project of each platform is largely what gives it denominated value and lends perceived economic validity to the system. There exists more important aspects holding up values that are more unseen than marketcap such as the moral compass of the social capital or most importantly the technological fortitude in the face of adversity. Longevity and access to fair and accountable governance are equally as important and unseen as the requirement of a legal identity for tax accountability. If any part, the blockchain, contract or active users are removed, so too is the value. One danger of judging tech exclusively on the measurements of fitness is that weaknesses can be overcome sociologically until the technology is upgraded or in cases where upgrading is also immutable.

Developer Culture in Cryptoart
Entrapments relying on ease of use as user experience embolden idealists who are caught up in expert culture. Oversimplification of anything complicated will lead to incompleteness or inaccuracy because of brevity. The structure and attention to detail needed to succeed rewards methodical and tedious programmers limited to a very specific methodology of objectifying reality. Spending hours required to master computer technology often prevents these experts from being exposed to the nuances of life away from the keyboard. Stuck in some cult of personality like residual phenomenon, many of the developers are also the source of much of the dogma pertaining to practices unrelated to code in cryptosystems. In some systems, the game creator or collection curator imposes forced restraints on variable choices, while also offering appeal through custom operations not available on the protocol itself. Unethically exploiting the needs of end-users for personal gain without contributing upstream, in an open system, typifies a predominant ethical pitfall in these kinds of organizations. Systematic, mid-level agency is presently frowned upon by facilitators who want a monopoly on behavior by offering private solutions to public problems. Middlemen situate themselves, their services, their own game currency, or their closed software, in order to be the arbitrator between the public usage and private access to knowledge for personal profit, all the while denouncing others who attempt to gain collective momentum for mid-level agency action. Because of the active bad actors in any successful system, there will always be a need for a concerted effort to facilitate accountable mentorship in the supply chains of art, tech and people. Developer culture has been predominant across most kinds of altcoin generation since Namecoin. From misused premines, blockchain forking, script kiddie contracts and blatant exit scams and rug pulling, to more legitimate practices like mining and trading tools, developers have a place to flourish in programming code and technology. Fair access to systems that enable content creators to tokenize content allows them to flourish in this space based on their own talents and understandings. In the usage of substitution, the idea in some artists’ minds is backwards to the convergent nature of reality, bridging the digital and the physical. The art represents the token, not the other way around.

Ontology of Tokens
In lexical usage, the specificity of a token is represented by the characteristics: identifier, keyword, separator, operator, literal, and comment. All of these attributes should also present in a blockchain tokenized system to make it complete. Firstly, identifiers allow end-users to model ideas within the system in the form of identity through naming conventions. Secondly, there is a specific set of words used by the system. These are reserved by the protocol or the system maker (like game currency), or by other users as represented by the growing pool of works established in the collection. Third, separators are needed to define the finality of each unique from one another. Fourth, operators are functions that are available through the platform or protocol, from adding issuance to autopaying royalties upon sales. Fifth, literal data solidifies the unique existence of each work as it manifests outside of the blockchain as file contents by connecting abstract virtual to sensory input manifestation. Literal restraints are left as open variables by the system itself but often culled by curators mandating specific formatting. Lastly, the idea for a variable specifically for comment addresses the information in a way expandable beyond the standard metadata into the realm of replication, operation and modification. If most of the important aspects are stored or chronicled on the parent blockchain, then the lifetime progression of this living document can be traceable.

The very identity of each work is determined by a human registering an available name or a string being assigned by the system. If the namespace exists separately as the issuance, then the name itself can be considered the singular quantity of existence. In this circumstance, if the issuance is zero, the name of the space itself acts as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT). Many of these kinds of tokens are named by the system with multiple issuances of the same art being named with different unseen identification. Some registrants try to conflate rarity by systematically creating multiple one-of-a-kinds, or double-digit issuances insufficient for collectable functionality in a global market. Despite the championing of this self-imposed limitation, there is something to be said about the buzz surrounding the perceived success in the mass media. Projects whose selling point is that each item in the collection is unique, are gaining notoriety to the extent where blockchain industry enthusiasts learning about the intersection of creative content gleefully parrot “NFT‽” Although the term seems to roll off the tongue, control over simple possession is not a robust enough functionality to be a sufficient label for this greater niche where longevity is always a focus. This overused acronym means that each occurrence of the same entity is inherently different from one another as they cannot be interchanged. This exclusivity is not necessarily a requirement of tokenization.

Naming and enumerating existence does not give satisfactory control over an asset for a content creator, when so much more is possible. Interpretation of the nature of the existence of each digital entity should be determined by the context in which it is made, supported, developed and established through societal conduct and constructs, such as the artwork. Conversely, existing on the computer network is a unique identifier that takes the place of the concept behind the work. The forged identity of the work is meant to encapsulate the presentation of information required or choose to convey the program that occupies the mind, similar to a tulpa. The intellectual identity of the artifacts are the essences that have been readily shared, while their substituted ownership is quantified by the computer system backing its digital embodiment. This invisible yet virtually tangible thought-form is manifested in a primary work, yet has the potential to be upgraded or adapted to other upgraded forms while still remaining true to its original identity. This is the fuller capacity in which cryptoartists are faced with. The opportunity of tuning the balance between mutability and permanence and the burden of orchestrating concurrent virtual computations and native human-readable reality. Cryptographically created tokens cannot exist within tangible reality, yet are the most basic form of essence forged in this new era. On an idiographic level, the crux of the artistry is the coining of lexemes. The nature of its existence is relevant to the computer system primarily and secondarily named or represented as art, whichever blockchain the IOU exists on.

Emojis are a necessity, when communicating on the internet, due to Poe’s Law. Just as the iconography is universal so too is the data portrayal via Unicode or Punycode. Yet because of perceived sociological pressures, they are suffering a semantic drift of their own as pistols in most operating systems become squirt guns in the guise of deplatforming hate speech in an effort to combat Moore’s Law. Just as the internet has theorized explanations for specific universal emergent behaviour so too have standards in ethical communication started to take root in a virtual twin of logical fallacies. These ethical bugs need to be worked out of the code of conduct in order to facilitate ethical communication. Contrary to the call of over-enabling females (or minorities) involved in the industry, the author reminds the reader that there are “no women online” and gender need not be a qualifier of value as some artists chose not to self gender or self discriminate and deserve equal status.

Token Narratives
Contrary to the limits of physical collectibles, virtual enumeration fluctuates due to simple human error as opposed to the multitude possible ravages by nature. Liquidity traded digital art functions independently from the customary wear and tear of shipping and handling. Similar to corrosion or damage to keepsakes, negligence can be catastrophic digitally. For vinyl record collectors, every scratch adds character, but the wear and tear should be similar to coloring data with a personal narrative. Collectible vinyl records make up a de-fungible system, where exchangeability is lessened systematically with use. The more a recording is played the more distinct/unique it becomes, and less valuable to a new buyer. Conversely, the technological or social narrative of stewardship potentially affects the value to otherwise liquid digital art. By observation alone, a five-pound note can become worth more than face value due to circumstances such as the serial number sequence having meaning unto itself, such as a historically significant date in time.

Although works of cryptoart may have more than one issued, the pathway each asset takes through time is unique. Similarly to bitcoins being dogeared as from being used for illicit activity, some discriminate buyers choose bitcoin ethically sourced for large purchases. Especially in order to be complicit with local law enforcement. This independent narrative of a solo asset can be harnessed due to the transparent nature of blockchain histories. In some cases, it may be harmed if it is combined with another of the same kind in one wallet. In such a time there are not two or more works, but a creation with the value of more than one. The unique luster washes off such a diamond when it is held with others. While cross-chain technology will eventually enable a cryptosystem of multimedia, which can be traded between protocols trustlessly, this technology does not currently exist currently in a decentralized ready to use state. However, open blockchain copier technology looks promising enough to solve multiple dilemmas.

Of significance to the big picture of cryptoart, is that the audit trail cannot be discontinuous or traceless. If one of the directives is to facilitate authenticity through accountability, then utilization of hidden transactions are counterproductive. Furthermore, if a project is closed-source and there is a black box in the center, then that should not be considered decentralized nor cryptoart, but simply blockchain futility endorsing theft and forgeries. Anything actually distributed does not have a purposeful bottleneck such as a kill switch or pause clause. Recovery from exploits or the ability to upgrade are commonly included in justifications to retain executive control. Self-amending crypto ledgers or DAGs are also enticing yet remain questionable technology. Likewise, Delegated Proof-of-Stake seems to pave the way to allow a majority to ignore content and likewise forfeit the illusion of immutability. All of which are techniques for pausing, resetting or reversing transactions and are therefore not acceptable as they can be misused at any time empowering institutional deplatforming.

The Necessity of Intermediaries
Out of necessity, intermediaries have developed. Since the Golden Age of the internet, consciously or not, they collectively unified artists in a marketable fashion. As the genres of music varied, netlabels tended to focus on specific cultural trends. Virtual communities, gathered for cultural enrichment, are quite typically fueled by passions in preservation, publication, reproduction and distribution. Conversely, financial return is a pleasant bonus but not a focus. In an instance of microcosm and macrocosm reflecting each other, illumination can be summoned by examining the basic unit of production.

When any instrument is driven at a harmonic of the fundamental frequency the system will carry the most resonance, and sound the loudest. At the right frequency, a synergistic effect can power standing waves to new heights. In the company of others, greatness is achieved through cooperation, yet each participant can be competitive within an ideal system. Any altruistic artist would like to see his or her labelmate succeed and understands the effectiveness in recommending another artist using social media. Garnering interest in an attention economy is ineffective when one toots his own horn. Prospective online content consumers are more receptive to authentic recommendations from others instead of self-referential marketing. This kind of reciprocity lends well to word-of-mouth marketing efforts. To the creator, any new content consumer could be a prospective purchaser of tickets, consumer of merchandise or sponsor of regular stipends. Virtual tokens as cultural iotas can be IOUs for services to be rendered and take the form of collectible works. The sound recording gatekeepers, similar to art galleries, are the organizations that bear the burden of authenticating work against the body of knowledge already existing before publication as curation. This analysis can only be effectively completed through in-depth investigation against lifelong exposure as insight as opposed to simply sampling the clearnet with one engine to get skewed information in place of knowledge.

Unfortunately, there has been no decentralized middleman to facilitate reputation building outside of binary sponsorship. One of the other ways balance has been positioned, is to create a centralized governing body which reviews works. Tokenized artistic expressions can have many interpretations for validity based on integrity of systematic variable settings and control over themes. Artwork deemed worthy of being in such a collection earns the primary benefit of collective agency. Endomatic certification has more potential for building ivory towers in walled gardens than to embody empowerment.

A Call for More Cohesion
Despite intentions of best practices, the narrative of private cryptoart galleries has built up so much market saturation that it overwhelms room for innovation by restraints through convention. So the core issues still remain. Those of empowerment through effective teaching in order to facilitate new usage but also mentorship as an underground foundation in order for grassroots efforts to really have momentum. No matter the substrate technology used to grow an idea, the difficulty with adoption can only be overcome through education and availability of resources. The most qualified choice is often overlooked for something that is more convenient or popular. Acquiring trade knowledge from a qualified mentor takes time and finesse unlike the shallow understanding of quick references and short tutorials. Artists digging deep into crypto-technological possibilities are prevented by those who want to provide easy answers to placate the masses with an ROI based project to astroturf users into colonizing.

It is natural for new participants to get enamored with the blockchain or project they are first introduced to and this bias is hard to break, even with confident evidence. There still seems to be some universal concepts which affect all users, and can be understood through in-depth investigation and analysis of trends that supersede individual organizations. Despite the middleman being bypassed technologically, sociologically, the functionality is still beneficial. It is reasonable to believe that not only one intermediary is required to facilitate the most effective outcome but an interconnected hierarchy. Simply producing etched marks on vinyl is not the same as cutting a record. Tomorrow’s platinum records will be entries in a tokenized system embodying the responsible balance of decentralized permanence and centralized mutability.

Distribution over Decentralization
In this modern era of hyper-accelerated culture, it is easy to lose sight of possibilities by trying to navigate what is already being built. Professional excellence is lost on those who attempt to game the system in order to achieve more than their peers by underhanded methodologies. Some use cases persevere as being successful before their time despite the seemingly impossible task of harnessing this evolving technology. As a result, many imitate the bandwagon by modifying their wheels to be more Sisyphean, all the while taking users for a ride without checking under the hood.

When the new age of online digital piracy came into full force, the primary justification of file trading usage was defended by self-publication utilization. Because the Internet allowed person-to-person direct interaction facilitated by one bridge as a single website or program, many users have grown accustomed to relying on their brand equity to be continually supported by a single platform, instead of a multitude of service areas. Due to manipulative or exploitive operations based on content, and without the user's interest at heart, many creators are still in search of substantial digital irrevocability. Nonetheless, the drive for creative people to push the boundaries of expression in any system is continual. They do so while also reflecting their own identity back into culture through multimedia and digital, artistic expressions.

By establishing digital accountability, inherent in the media itself, content creators are enabled to take back control and more readily earn capital from selling digital copies. Because of blockchain technology, art has been introduced with limited tangibility into virtual entertainment on a global level. What is not directly supported with code can be upheld by social interactions. If a newcomer wants to know how the art and the token are linked, there seems to be no wrong answer. Any combination of the code, the curator, the individual, their community, the greater internet and world all have a part in what human meaning is behind the digital token. Ideally, they all work in cohesion in comprehending and implementing the abstract vision of the creator. Cryptoart is more about enabling outliers who can collectively draw from multiple disciplines to Venn diagram a new perceptual gateway into the next era of the unified potential of both physical and virtual realities.

The effectiveness of networking social capital on top of a peer-to-peer system is dictated by the nature of the organizing structure of the supporting technology. Therefore, the ideal tokenized cryptoart systems will be not decentralized but distributed. Manually playing connect the dots on a decentralized system exposes the throughput to the liability of being severed due to the inherent nature of connectivity. This multicentral organization should more adequately exist on the sociological layer, instead of the technological layer, of an effective system when marketing. The social aspects can be reflected or reinforced with the tech.

Earning a Reputation
What cannot be bought or sold, online or off, is social capital in the form of trust. Not just producers of fine art, but each content creator’s intent lies behind individual acts or works. Reputations are the building blocks of a society that learns from history. The successful are the ones who impact the timeline of humanity in order to achieve greatness. Humans have the capacity to exist outside of the relational space and sequential time restraints, which serve as the basis for technology, yet will forevermore be bound to this paradox. Similarly, there seems to be a contradiction between using a digital avatar or tokenized identity consistently across platforms in order to establish trusting relationships and become mentors yet ultimately overreliance in centralized authority is frowned upon due to the potential for adversity. This leads to the importance of establishing authority outside of any individual persona, government or computer code. While many systems currently give sole authority of taxonomic relevance to the creators or curators alone there is a folksonomic crisis which affects many facets of user interaction in a distributed fashion.

Conclusion
This new media is a virtualized representation of multifaceted social artifacts through ownership, access, and shared understanding. Greatness can be achieved by embodying the success of fine art, institutional mentorship combined with the nuances of underground marketing in the utilization of open-source and decentralized blockchain technology. This coalescence of art and technology has the potential to permeate all walks of life as a new constant in the virtual world manifest in real life. The whole of cryptoart is on the forefront of creativity and technology in a dynamic first come, first serve industry of innovation. Yet community-wide success is predicated on technologies working well together in a similar fashion as the artists who collaborate in this space. Caution should be utilized when proceeding with enacting old world structures with the retrofitted legacy of failed institutions. This new paradigm has been felt for decades and expressed through fiction. Authors and animators continue to lead the public thought of what comes next.

Not to be overlooked, the actions of Alcoholic Anonymous have institutionalized the ritualistic stewardship of a tokenized achievement backed by something more precious the longer the dedication. Drawing parallel between free speech and the use of substances by humans the crux of the topic revolves around initiation. There are some things that should only be communicated with mature participants, similarly, mind-altering (shamanic) techniques require the proper setting and precautions taken. It is said that the purpose of the shaman is to function with one foot in each world, the physical and spiritual. In this modern age, the foot into the invisible landscape is of digital twins and the agent is the cryptoartist. Both paths share the commonality of mapping the hidden for the profane. Online international meme culture is fueled by connections that run deeper than words can convey on a communication layer of unseen feelings just as the spiritually inclined behold realities more interconnected than language can afford.

by Theodore Duncan Krostue
November 18th MMXX. BYNCSA