I’ve always thought of magic in two ways; there’s performative magic and belief magic.

And, for all the criticisms (some fair, some not) I’ve seen levied at this space by non-believers, I’ve seen, with my own eyes, magic being made nearly every day — through refreshed optimism, through hard work done fast, through groups coming together to do what individuals alone cannot.

The very structure of DAOs (decentralised autonomous organisations) themselves provide solidarity networks, with increasing collaboration between DAOs to build a broader scene. It’s early but this blend of community knowledge + solidarity networks + folklore exists, right now.

This belief is central to Web3 ideology, and we should be heartened by the sheer longevity of magic, despite the best efforts of large institutions, to bring together like-minded people in service of the best possible futures.

At its heart, belief magic is a combination of community knowledge + solidarity networks + folklore.

for all the criticisms (some fair, some not) I’ve seen levied at this space by non-believers, I’ve seen, with my own eyes, magic being made nearly every day — through refreshed optimism, through hard work done fast, through groups coming together to do what individuals alone cannot.

Let’s consider that formula: community knowledge + solidarity networks + folklore. The web3 communities I’m in have powerful ideologies; these are spaces with shared perspectives and rituals that have emerged over a compressed period of time. This manner of collective world-building in and around projects (in the best possible way, I wouldn’t use... See more

At its heart, belief magic is a combination of community knowledge + solidarity networks + folklore.

You can see the line I’m drawing between the act or art of belief magic and what it means to be working in any emergent technology space; especially this emergent space we call web3, trying to build all three elements at once from the ashes of past scenes that didn’t feel so magical.