Glitter Nihilism in Crypto
At DevCon 7 in Bangkok, I was captivated by the bold visions of world-building unfolding around me - from the dynamic hacktivist and governance hubs alive with fervent dialogue to artfully crafted spaces that intertwined cryptography with art. Yet, beneath this optimism lingered a dissonant shadow - a subtle yet pervasive nihilism rooted in crypto’s speculative ethos. This tension, where revolutionary ambition collides with ephemeral pursuits and luxury, compelled me to reflect on the deeper essence of this ecosystem and the narratives we collectively choose to shape.
I was also not alone, many talks at DevCon that spurred on the Cypherpunk track also tracked this feeling. For example, Eleftherios Diakomichal talk at DevCon, “Financial Nihilism vs FOSS Culture: The Battle for Ethereum’s Soul,” delved deep into this tension, exploring the struggle between crypto’s financial exploitation and its foundational ideals of decentralization and open-source culture. Diakomichal highlighted the complexities and contradictions within the crypto space - on one hand, the excitement and rebellion of financial freedom, and on the other, the more shadowed side: the “crypto casino” mentality characterized by its Degen cultural bent, exhibited by a kind of financial nihilism.
Nihilism asserts life lacks inherent meaning, purpose, or value. It challenges traditional structures of morality, religion, and authority, often arguing that these constructs are human inventions without objective grounding. Nihilism can evoke existential despair but it is also an opportunity for creative determination and this is precisely what projects like Ethereum enable.
In crypto, there’s a magnetic pull toward the punk and alt-lifestyle - an embrace of risk and an allure of rebellion. Whether you identify as a degen, regen, or lunarpunk, we are all drawn to the thrill of standing against the status quo and doing something risky. It’s a collective yearning for an undefined future, one that promises freedom, unpredictability, and the opportunity to shape something new. In this space, we aren’t just participants; we are active challengers of what is, intoxicated by the raw possibility of what could be.
But there is a kind of glitz there too, especially at the more elite level of crypto. For example, we fly around the world to conferences, we attend exclusive parties and we discuss cypherpunk ideals amid a surreal, shiny backdrop.
Glitter nihilism is a philosophical stance embracing impermanence, contradiction, and ephemeral beauty within crypto culture. It thrives on tensions: deeply questioning systems of power while sipping cocktails on rooftops. Building decentralization as we jet-set across centralized networks. Dancing at the edge of “serious” revolution & fleeting glamor.
In essence, Glitter Nihilism is a vibe, a lifestyle, a philosophy that is born from crypto’s alt-punk roots and elite contradictions.
Glitter Nihilism says: live beautifully in the contradictions. Innovate wildly, but don’t take permanence too seriously. Break it all, try it all. Ethereum is the chaotic canvas.
By “chaotic canvas,” I refer to Ethereum’s nature as a “World Computer,” an open platform where diverse systems of value and meaning can be encoded and generated. Unlike more rigid blockchain systems, Ethereum enables us to question, innovate, and redefine frameworks of meaning. Its boundless creative potential invites collective experimentation where anything imagined can be coded.
Yet, this freedom carries a paradox: in a space of effortless creation, chaos thrives. As projects rise and dissolve, ephemerality becomes the norm - not a flaw but a celebrated feature.
Glitter Nihilism embraces the transience of life, celebrating impermanence as a form of artistic expression. In the crypto world, this philosophy is embodied by the fleeting nature of projects - NFTs programmed to self-destruct, DAOs that dissolve, and governance systems for public goods that are abandoned when funding fades.
Ephemerality also permeates our communication within this space, where messages flicker across multiple platforms, demanding immediate attention. We must grasp them swiftly, before they fade into irrelevance - often because the project has already shifted focus, leaving the previous discourse behind. Through this ephemeral communication and the need to keep up, we are left wanting, tired, burned out, incomplete.
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This ethos revels in the act of creation without the burden of permanence, recognizing that the beauty lies not in what lasts, but in the brilliance of what is made and later broken or faded. Rather than seeing this as a flaw, Glitter Nihilism frames it as a form of liberation. It’s the freedom to innovate without attachment, to create with the understanding that nothing is permanent.
There’s a haunting quality to this dynamic - the vaporware left behind by this constant cycle of creation and destruction. In a world where nothing is built to last, the digital ruins speak volumes. These fading echoes reflect both the thrilling freedom of impermanence and the melancholic sense of loss that accompanies it. Glitter Nihilism is found in these transient moments, yet there remains something deeply unsettling about the voids it leaves in their wake.
At what given point does the transient shift from being a source of beauty and freedom to something that no longer serves our needs and is actually destructive to them? When does it become disturbing, even existentially overwhelming, rather than liberating?
What does it mean when revolutions become framed as temporary? When our deepest aspirations for social and political transformation are subjected to the cold, ephemeral flow of financial capital?
It reveals the fragility of our convictions - the way even the most powerful movements can be hollowed out by the relentless pull of profit. And in this, we must ask ourselves: are we truly shaping a new world, or merely gilding the ruins of the old?
For Nietzche, nihilism was not the end - in fact, the only way out of nihilism according to him, was, through it.
We must get through this phase.
Perhaps the most radical and transformative act we can commit at this time is to embrace permanence - not as a static endpoint, but as a commitment to enduring values. If crypto’s culture glorifies ephemerality and constant reinvention, then perhaps permanence becomes the ultimate act of rebellion: a conscious choice to invest in what lasts, to nurture foundations that withstand time, and to prioritize meaning over momentum. True punk ethos, I argue, lies not in fleeting rebellion but in constructing something that persists and resonates across generations.
Solarpunk ideals and Regen worldviews, exemplified by the sun, offer a compelling antidote to crypto’s tendency toward fleeting experimentation. These frameworks envision systems grounded in long-term sustainability, where the value created not only persists but actively regenerates, nourishing the ecosystems it touches. They urge us to move beyond breaking things for the sake of innovation and imagine a future where experimentation is purposeful and enduring.
Lunarpunks, exemplified by the moon, are focused on privacy and resilience in preparation for potential conflicts over digital freedom, provide complementary insights. Their dedication to long-term thinking rooted in cypherpunk ethics highlights the need for vigilance and adaptability.
Dr. Paul Dylan Ennis envisions a transparent, utopian society inspired by solarpunk ideals, where collaboration and sustainability are paramount, yet fortified by the vigilant darkness of lunarpunk values, which emphasize privacy and resilience. Together, these movements - what Dr. Ennis terms “Polarpunk” - offer a holistic vision of hope with pragmatism against Glitter Nihilism.
Ethereum is not merely a protocol but a dynamic space for redefining value, where collective negotiation reshapes meaning beyond mere price. In this framework, value emerges from shared ideals and the moral economy. Yet, the beauty in nihilism lies in the potential for change - it’s the recognition that the pendulum can swing in the opposite direction. Perhaps the real revolution may not lie in what we build, but in how we choose to confront the current truths and the way we choose to proceed forward.
