In the volatile arena of ideas, one has emerged with crucial implications for the crypto community: Hyperstitional Warfare.

This is not merely a battle of narratives; it is a battle to define reality itself. Hyperstition—a portmanteau of 'hyper' and 'superstition'—describes ideas or narratives that bring themselves into existence through the power of collective belief. In essence, it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, but one that extends far beyond mere speculation into manifest, material reality.

For an example, look no further than blockchains themselves—the idea of a decentralized, peer-to-peer digital cash has made itself manifest from the long-ago telling of the story of its importance in the early days of the Cypherpunk movement. The idea is that certain ideas bear such power that they make themselves manifest over time.

Another inchoate example? Crypto must be regulated.

Another? Crypto is a refuge for scoundrels and scammers.

We know these are reductive to the point of absurdity—but give the world long enough with naught but these narratives, and the only people left using it will be just so.

We’ve seen the same thing undermine promising liberating technologies before—and we must prevent it from happening again. Before we can defend our creations, our space, we must first acknowledge the reality of it.

This is not a hypothetical. It’s too late in the day for that sort of philosophizing. The truth is it may already be too late to counter.

The key players in hyperstitional warfare are not just arguing over different perspectives; they are actively shaping the future through the narratives they propagate. In our current landscape, where every regulatory body we encounter is inherently hostile to our core principles, understanding the mechanics of hyperstitional warfare is not an option; it’s a necessity.

The Stark Reality of Hostile Forces

We are up against centralized organizations that have mastered the art of hyperstitional warfare. Their power is not only regulatory but narratively enforced, meaning they can bend public sentiment and policy in ways that manifest their desired reality—a reality often antagonistic to the decentralized ethos of the crypto movement.

See, e.g., Chokepoint 2.0: https://www.cooperkirk.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Operation-Choke-Point-2.0.pdf, and the muted, hostile response to it by power center mouthpieces like Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2023-03-30/crypto-claims-chokepoint-2-0-as-wall-street-banks-close-ranks

The Vulnerability of Crypto’s Fragmented Narrative

Our own worst enemy may well be our fragmented narrative. Decentralization, while a technological and ideological strength, is a narrative weakness when facing coordinated hyperstitional attacks.

The Tactical Steps for Hyperstitional Defense: What You Can Do

1. Forge a Unified Counter-Narrative

   • Individual Action: Use blogs, podcasts, or social media to convey the social and economic benefits of crypto, aiming to build a shared narrative through common language and hashtags.

2. Strategic Alliances, Sans Illusions

   • Individual Action: Support organizations and causes that align with the philosophy of decentralization. Your donations, sharing their content, or advocating for them can incrementally strengthen our position.

3. Defensive Posturing

   • Individual Action: Be vigilant about news trends affecting crypto and prepare to counter false narratives within your circles of influence. Educate yourself to present solid, logical arguments.

4. Grassroots Narrative Mobilization

   • Individual Action: Use your network to disseminate messages and materials that build a strong, counter-hyperstitional narrative. Sharing is a form of grassroots activism in the information age.

5. Master the Media Battlefield

   • Individual Action: Cultivate relationships with sympathetic journalists and influencers. Offer well-reasoned arguments and perspectives they can propagate through their platforms.

Conclusion

We are in an unprecedented war—a hyperstitional one. In a world where every center of power is an adversary, it’s imperative for each of us to take part in crafting and disseminating a powerful, pro-crypto narrative. In a decentralized community, the power of hyperstition must be harnessed by us all if we are to resist the narrative hegemony of centralized powers.

TLDR: do not ask what crypto can do for you—as yourself: what can I do for crypto. Build, write code, yes. But tell your part of our story too. Because if you do not, there may soon be nobody left to build for but the people they define as our sole audience. And if we find ourselves there, we will have already lost.

The end of this story is up to each of you. Or them. The choice is yours, and your actions will be how you choose.

And the time to do so is now.