Aleph

Ariel LeBeau

Austin Robey

Cooper Turley

David Blumenstein

David Ehrlichman

David Kerr

Devon Moore

Dexter Tortoriello

Drew Coffman

Drew Millard

Eileen Isagon Skyers

FWB Staff

Greg Bresnitz

Greta Rainbow

Ian Rogers

Jessica Klein

Jose Mejia

Kelani Nichole 

Kelsie Nabben

Kevin Munger

Khalila Douze

Kinjal Shah

LUKSO

Lindsay Howard

Maelstrom

Marc Moglen

Marvin Lin

Mary Carreon

Matt Newberg

Mike Pearl

Mike Sunda (PUSH)

Moyosore Briggs

Nicole Froio

Ruby Justice Thelot

Simon Hudson

Steph Alinsug

The Blockchain Socialist

Willa Köerner

Yana Sosnovskaya

Yancey Strickler

Home

Join

Editorial

About

Events

At Friends With Benefits, we’re building a future where our technology and culturally-informed ethics are inseparable. As a global group of culturalists in search of better tech, our activities advance the adoption of emerging technology

This essay–the third in an ongoing series–addresses the need for our larger industry to build products people want to use. The deluge of projects that are funded without viable audiences needs to stop in order for us to grow outside our current bubble. In an almost historic lack of awareness, we are confronted with the ongoing inability to answer the question, “how does web3 make this better”?

This is an industry wide call to take a step back to look at what is the fundamental throughline missing in most projects to date. The simple answer is culture. The hard work is ensuring it is integrated into your tech stack from the start.

For our purposes, we define culture as the collective manifestation of human intellectual achievement, encompassing shared beliefs, values, and practices that define a society. It represents our quest for meaning and identity, reflecting our rational and imaginative capacities while shaping our perceptions and interactions. Through culture, we interpret and navigate our reality, continually reconstructing it to find our place within the broader tapestry of human existence.

Most onchain companies build tools first, then try to source culture, making finding PMF an even steeper challenge. Authenticity cannot be retrofitted; it must be embedded from the start. Incorporating culture from the outset for the end user is not just a design preference, but a necessity. In our essay "

," we argue that bringing the next 100 million users onchain and the bonds between the final product / audience will require shared cultural values, not just financial incentives.

In May 2024, we developed a framework for product design grounded in 

, which posits that as we design our world, in turn, our world designs us back. This approach creates robust feedback loops, ensuring products evolve with user input and real-world interactions. Upon reflection, we realized how often the critical missing element in any given tech stack are simply shared cultural values. Without a strong foundation, new technology, no matter how robust or complex, lacks depth and stickiness.

Embedding culture from the start challenges and transforms the development process for the better. It moves us beyond aesthetics and utility to address the universal human experience. By starting with building 

, we ensure products not only function but resonate with people, driving higher adoption and stronger emotional bonds. This makes it possible for technology to be fundamentally meaningful in peoples’ lives. This also ensures you do not have to be a tryhard when pushing your product - by tapping into and understanding people’s desires, they will come to you to fulfill them.

Simply stated, don’t build something that doesn’t already fulfill someone's existing needs.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of onchain ecosystems, prioritizing cultural authenticity is not just advantageous—it's imperative. As builders grapple with the challenge of large-scale adoption, they must recognize that meeting people where they are is the key to relevance and growth. This means looking beyond functionality to create products and experiences that resonate with people's daily lives and values. By embedding cultural considerations from the outset, onchain products have the potential to be more than just tools. they can become socially enriching platforms that connect with what truly matters to users. The most successful projects will be those that value culture and, in turn, create products that people don't just use, but ecosystems they actively want to be a part of.

 Before the Walkman, portable music was confined to bulky tape players and radios. The Walkman transformed personal music consumption by making it an individual experience, revolutionizing how people engage with music.

The shift from standardized rooms like Hilton's to the culturally rich environments of Ace Hotels illustrates the power of cultural integration. Ace Hotels create unique, immersive experiences by embedding local culture into their design, transforming hotels into vibrant community hubs.

Before Air Jordans, basketball shoes were purely functional, designed solely for athletic performance. What transformed them into cultural icons was not just the shoe itself, but the powerful combination of Michael Jordan's influence and the groundbreaking ad campaigns that tapped into the burgeoning basketball and street culture. Nike’s marketing genius elevated the Air Jordans beyond sports, making them symbols of status, style, and aspiration. The success of Air Jordans was fueled by a narrative that connected deeply with fans, turning the shoes into a cultural phenomenon that redefined the athletic footwear industry.

Traditional campaigns once relied on structured messaging, but the rise of social media and meme culture has revolutionized this approach. Meme culture, as a modern expression of shared beliefs and values, has become a powerful tool for shaping public perception. Kamala Harris’s campaign embraced 

, using culturally relevant, shareable content to resonate with the zeitgeist and connect with a broader audience. This shift didn’t just communicate policies—it transformed political communication, proving that meme culture is a vital force in forging meaningful connections.

Why Culture Should Be Part of the Tech Stack

: Everyone is eating everyone else's roadmap, and differentiation is flattening. A culturally attuned tech stack fosters creativity and innovation by incorporating diverse perspectives, making products more distinctive and appealing in a competitive market.

: Integrating culture into technology ensures that products resonate with users' beliefs, values, and lifestyles, leading to higher adoption rates and stronger emotional connections.

Ensures Long-term Relevance and Adaptability

: Embedding cultural considerations from the start allows technology to adapt to evolving social norms and values, ensuring sustained relevance and success in a dynamic environment.

: Culture drives status, which drives desire, which in turn drives spending. Even if you don’t believe in it, it’s just good for business.

How to Embed Culture into Your Tech Stack

n, these basic tenets can support your decision making process. If this feels foreign or new to you, that’s ok. Even a solid attempt will put you far ahead of your competition. It also ensures the conversations are there from the start, giving equal value to the rest of your business.

For the greatest success, we encourage you to think about embedded culture as mission critical as your choice of chain, tokenomics & infrastructure.

Embed humanistic values and ethics at every stage of tech development.

Design intuitive, enjoyable user-first technology.

Create compelling stories to deepen engagement.

Innovate by incorporating user and stakeholder feedback.

Stay agile and adapt to evolving cultural norms.

Incorporate cultural artifacts that speak to or enhance people’s daily lives.

Design inclusively to meet diverse needs.

Highlight practical and emotional benefits.

Build strong communities with a sense of belonging.

Ensure consistent messaging and practices to build trust.

New technology often misses the mark by ignoring the core of human experience and desire. It's time to demand more. Embedding cultural authenticity from the outset is not just an option; it's a necessity for real innovation that solves problems and changes lives. At FWB, we've proven that when technology embraces our values, it resonates more deeply and powerfully. There’s no reason to settle for the superficial when it’s possible to build things that connect, inspire, and endure. Join us in shaping a future where technology serves humanity in its most profound form.

This essay–the third in an ongoing series–addresses the need for our larger industry to build products people want to use.

Why Culture Needs to Be in Your Tech Stack

RSVP for the Wosco Art Gallery opening on August 18 17:00–20:00

In today’s digital age, integrating human authentication into technology systems is critical for ensuring security, privacy, and trust. The balance between innovation and collaboration among governments, organizations, and individuals is driving significant advancements in digital security and privacy. Ultimately, all these efforts are run by humans, whose identities and data must be protected. Argentina’s different data breaches, involving different public and private databases, underscore the urgent need for robust authentication measures. This essay explores why human authentication is indispensable. It balances privacy, security, and trust, while also unlocking potential to enhance user experiences and enable highly secure, seamless digital interactions.

At its core, authentication verifies users personhood, serving as a gatekeeper to sensitive information. In human authentication, mechanisms that reliably confirm living individuals before granting access are essential. Privacy is a fundamental human right, increasingly at risk in our interconnected world.

Implementing measures like multifactor authentication (MFA), biometric verification (such as fingerprint or facial recognition), and security tokens mitigates these risks. These methods ensure only verified individuals access sensitive data. Continuous authentication acts as an ongoing gatekeeper, further enhancing security in digital environments.

Authentication methods have evolved significantly. From simple passwords to sophisticated biometrics and security tokens, the goal has been to stay ahead of potential breaches. The recent CrowdStrike incident affected approximately 8.5 million Windows devices worldwide, less than 1% of computers globally. This outage could result in insured losses of up to $1.5 billion, highlighting the need for robust, continuous authentication.

By verifying the personhood of individuals through multiple layers, organizations create a more secure environment. This protects against unauthorized access and reduces data breaches. For individuals, these authentication layers provide peace of mind, protecting their personal information and preventing identity theft. They also enhance trust in digital interactions.

While robust authentication is crucial, balancing security and accessibility is equally important. Overly stringent measures can create barriers for legitimate users, leading to frustration and potential exclusion. Cryptocurrency applications often highlight this tension; high security is paramount, but complex processes can deter users.

Designing systems that provide strong security without compromising accessibility is key. User-friendly methods like single sign-on (SSO) solutions, combined with robust security measures, enhance both security and usability. Passkeys offer another alternative by doing away with traditional passwords. They use cryptographic keys stored on users' devices, making the process both secure and easy to use.

Passkeys provide enhanced security by eliminating the risks associated with password reuse and phishing attacks. Since the private key never leaves the user's device, it is less vulnerable to breaches. This method simplifies the user experience by removing the need to remember complex passwords, allowing quick authentication through biometric confirmation or device unlock.

However, complex authentication solutions, like multiple layers of biometric verification and extensive security tokens, can introduce significant drawbacks. Users may find these processes cumbersome, time-consuming, and confusing, leading to decreased adoption and engagement. The more intricate the authentication process, the higher the risk of technical issues and user errors. This can further compromise the user experience. Balancing the need for security with maintaining an accessible, user-friendly interface is critical for fostering trust and encouraging broader participation in digital platforms.

As digital systems integrate into daily life, ethical standards are vital. Organizations must ensure authentication mechanisms are effective and respectful of user privacy. Transparency and user consent are necessary. Informing users about data usage and giving them control over authentication choices fosters trust and transparency.

Equally important is the ethical handling of data collection and storage. Utilizing decentralized storage solutions, such as IPFS, can enhance data security and integrity. However, any public databases, even when they are encrypted, are open to exploits, because even that encryption can eventually be broken. Educating users on their privacy rights and the mechanisms in place to protect their data is essential for fostering an informed and empowered user base. By prioritizing these ethical considerations, organizations can build a digital environment that respects and upholds individual privacy and autonomy.

Decentralized Digital Identity: The Argentine Case

The new era of digital trust frameworks, using blockchain technology, creates self-sovereign digital identity systems, giving people control over their information. These frameworks allow citizens to manage their data securely and interact digitally without intermediaries. They simplify transactions and centralize documents from various institutions.

Argentina leads Latin America in promoting this technology, joining countries like Canada, the UK, and Singapore. This creates a global ecosystem for secure credential exchange without intermediaries. The Secretariat of Innovation and Digital Transformation of Buenos Aires City will incorporate this technology into miBA, decentralizing documents issued by the city and enabling residents to have verifiable credentials from other organizations. This means that 820,000 citizens of Buenos Aires, who have a level 3 biometric in the city's identity solution, can have their DID instantly, and with it, they will be able to select, for example, what kind of information they want to share with a verifier. Examples of this would be: Driver's license; birth certificate; marriage certificate; regular student certificate

For governments, these protocols provide an agile and secure verification of citizens. Instead of asking for pieces of plastic (when a policeman stops us and asks for our registration, green card, car insurance, etc. and we start looking in the car because we don't know where we left all the documents), with this technology the policeman or any verifier will show us a QR, which will be a question about our identity, and we will just scan that QR to give only the necessary information: “I can drive this car”, “I am authorized to drive”, “this car is insured”. It doesn't care about my date of birth or where I live. The only thing that matters is that I am authorized to drive.

Human authentication is vital in modern tech stacks, safeguarding privacy, security, and trust. The Argentine well known experience, marked by advancements in decentralized digital identity, demonstrates the potential for robust measures to empower users. Effective authentication ensures identities and data are protected. By balancing confidentiality with accessibility and upholding ethical standards, organizations can create a secure and trustworthy digital environment. Passkeys, which use cryptographic keys stored on users' devices, offer a secure and user-friendly alternative to traditional passwords. They eliminate risks associated with password reuse and phishing, enhancing both security and usability. The evolution of these methods reflects the importance of continuous authentication, providing ongoing protection against unauthorized access. As technology evolves, effective authentication mechanisms will significantly improve the quality of digital life, offering enhanced control over personal data, greater protection against identity theft, and increased confidence in digital interactions. This ensures not only security but also a future where trust and empowerment of our digital sovereignty are at the forefront.

En la era digital actual, integrar la autenticación humana a los sistemas tecnológicos es crucial para garantizar seguridad, privacidad y confianza. El equilibrio entre la innovación y la colaboración entre gobiernos, organizaciones e individuos está impulsando importantes avances en la seguridad y privacidad digital. En última instancia, todos estos esfuerzos son llevados a cabo por humanos, cuyas identidades y datos deben ser protegidos. Las diversas filtraciones de datos en Argentina, que involucraron tanto bases de datos públicas como privadas, destacan la necesidad urgente de medidas de autenticación robustas. Este ensayo explora por qué la autenticación humana es indispensable. Esta equilibra privacidad, seguridad y confianza, al tiempo que desbloquea el potencial para mejorar las experiencias de los usuarios y permitir interacciones digitales altamente seguras y fluidas.

En esencia, la autenticación verifica la identidad de los usuarios, sirviendo como guardiana de información sensible. En la autenticación humana, los mecanismos que confirman de manera fiable a individuos vivos antes de conceder acceso son esenciales. La privacidad es un derecho humano fundamental, cada vez más en riesgo en un mundo cada vez más interconectado.

Implementar medidas como la autenticación multifactor (MFA), la verificación biométrica (como huellas dactilares o reconocimiento facial) y los tokens de seguridad, mitiga estos riesgos. Estos métodos aseguran que sólo los individuos verificados accedan a datos sensibles. La autenticación constante actúa como una guardiana permanente, mejorando aún más la seguridad en los entornos digitales.

Los métodos de autenticación han evolucionado significativamente. Desde contraseñas simples hasta biometría sofisticada y tokens de seguridad, el objetivo siempre ha sido mantenerse por delante de posibles vulneraciones. El reciente incidente de CrowdStrike afectó a aproximadamente 8,5 millones de dispositivos Windows en todo el mundo, menos del 1% de las computadoras a nivel mundial. Esta interrupción puede resultar en pérdidas aseguradas de hasta $1.5 mil millones, lo que destaca la necesidad de procesos de  autenticación fiables y constantes.

Al verificar la identidad de las personas a través de múltiples capas, las organizaciones crean un entorno más seguro. Esto las protege contra el acceso no autorizado y reduce las vulneraciones de datos. Para los individuos, estas capas de autenticación proporcionan tranquilidad, y les permite proteger su información personal y prevenir el robo de su identidad. También mejoran la confianza en las interacciones digitales.

Equilibrio entre Seguridad y Accesibilidad

Si bien la autenticación robusta es crucial, equilibrar la seguridad y la accesibilidad es igualmente importante. Medidas excesivamente estrictas pueden crear barreras para los usuarios legítimos, y generar frustración y una posible exclusión. Las aplicaciones de criptomonedas a menudo destacan esta tensión; la alta seguridad es primordial, pero los procesos complejos pueden disuadir a los usuarios.

Diseñar sistemas que proporcionen seguridad sólida pero no comprometan la accesibilidad es clave. Métodos fáciles de usar, como las soluciones de inicio de sesión único (SSO), combinadas con fuertes medidas de seguridad, mejoran tanto la seguridad como la usabilidad. Las passkeys ofrecen otra alternativa al eliminar las contraseñas tradicionales. Utilizan claves criptográficas almacenadas en los dispositivos de los usuarios, y a su vez hacen que el proceso sea seguro y fácil de usar.

Las passkeys proporcionan una mayor seguridad al eliminar los riesgos asociados con la reutilización de contraseñas y los ataques de phishing. Dado que la clave privada nunca sale del dispositivo del usuario, es menos vulnerable a potenciales violaciones. Este método simplifica la experiencia del usuario al eliminar la necesidad de recordar contraseñas complejas, mientras permite una autenticación rápida a través de la confirmación biométrica o el desbloqueo del dispositivo.

Sin embargo, las soluciones de autenticación complejas, como múltiples capas de verificación biométrica y extensos tokens de seguridad, pueden introducir desventajas significativas. Los usuarios pueden encontrar estos procesos engorrosos, largos y confusos, lo que lleva a una disminución en la adopción y la interacción. Cuanto más complejo sea el proceso de autenticación, mayor es el riesgo de problemas técnicos y errores del usuario, lo cual puede comprometer aún más la experiencia del usuario. Equilibrar la necesidad de seguridad con el mantenimiento de una interfaz accesible y fácil de usar resulta determinante para fomentar la confianza y alentar una participación más inclusiva en las plataformas digitales.

A medida que los sistemas digitales se integran en la vida diaria, los estándares éticos se vuelven esenciales. Las organizaciones deben garantizar que los mecanismos de autenticación sean efectivos y respeten la privacidad del usuario. En este sentido, la transparencia y el consentimiento del usuario son necesarios. Informar a los usuarios sobre el uso de sus datos y darles control sobre las opciones de autenticación fomenta la confianza y la transparencia.

Igualmente importante es el manejo ético de la recolección y almacenamiento de datos. Utilizar soluciones de almacenamiento descentralizado, como IPFS, puede mejorar la seguridad e integridad de los datos. Sin embargo, cualquier base de datos pública, incluso cuando está cifrada, es susceptible a exploits, ya que incluso ese cifrado puede eventualmente ser derribado. Educar a los usuarios sobre sus derechos de privacidad y los mecanismos existentes para proteger sus datos es esencial para fomentar una base de usuarios informada y empoderada. Al priorizar estas consideraciones éticas, las organizaciones pueden construir un entorno digital que respete y mantenga la privacidad y autonomía individual.

Identidad Digital Descentralizada: El Caso Argentino

En esta nueva era de surgimiento de marcos de confianza digital, la tecnología blockchain está habilitando sistemas de identidad digital auto soberanos que le dan a las personas control sobre su información. Estos marcos le permiten a los ciudadanos gestionar sus datos de manera segura e interactuar digitalmente sin intermediarios. A su vez, simplifican las transacciones y centralizan documentos de diversas instituciones.

Argentina es un país pionero en la promoción de esta tecnología en América Latina, a la par de países como Canadá, el Reino Unido y Singapur. Esto crea un ecosistema global de intercambio seguro de credenciales sin intermediarios. La Secretaría de Innovación y Transformación Digital de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires incorporará esta tecnología a miBA, con el objetivo de descentralizar los documentos emitidos por la Ciudad y permitirles a los residentes tener credenciales verificables de otras organizaciones. Esto implica que 820.000 ciudadanos de Buenos Aires, que tienen un nivel 3 biométrico en la solución de identidad de la Ciudad, podrán tener su DID instantáneamente, y con él, podrán seleccionar, por ejemplo, qué tipo de información quieren compartir con un verificador. Ejemplos de esto podrían ser: licencia de conducir, certificado de nacimiento, certificado de matrimonio, certificado de alumno regular.

Para los gobiernos, estos protocolos proporcionan una oportunidad de verificación ágil y segura de los ciudadanos. En lugar de solicitar documentos físicos (cuando un policía nos frena y nos pide nuestra licencia, cédula verde, seguro del auto, etc., y comenzamos a buscar en el auto porque no sabemos dónde dejamos todos los documentos), con esta tecnología el policía o cualquier verificador podría simplemente mostrarnos un QR con una pregunta sobre nuestra identidad, y nosotros simplemente escanearíamos ese QR para brindar únicamente la información necesaria: “Puedo conducir este auto”, “Estoy autorizado para conducir”, “Este auto está asegurado”, sin importar mi fecha de nacimiento o dónde vivo. Lo único que importa es que estoy autorizado para conducir.

La autenticación humana es vital en los stacks tecnológicos modernos porque salvaguarda la privacidad, la seguridad y la confianza. El reconocido expertise de Argentina, marcado por los avances en identidad digital descentralizada, demuestra el potencial que tienen las medidas robustas para empoderar a los usuarios. Una autenticación efectiva garantiza que las identidades y los datos estén protegidos. Al equilibrar la confidencialidad con la accesibilidad y mantener estándares éticos, las organizaciones pueden crear un entorno digital seguro y confiable. Las passkeys, que utilizan claves criptográficas almacenadas en los dispositivos de los usuarios, ofrecen una alternativa segura y fácil de usar frente a las contraseñas tradicionales ya que eliminan los riesgos asociados a la reutilización de contraseñas y el phishing, mejorando así tanto la seguridad como la usabilidad. La evolución de estos métodos refleja la importancia de la autenticación constante, ya que proporciona protección continua contra el acceso no autorizado. A medida que la tecnología evoluciona, los mecanismos de autenticación efectivos mejorarán significativamente la calidad de la vida digital al ofrecer un mayor control sobre los datos personales, una mayor protección contra el robo de identidad y una mayor confianza en las interacciones digitales. Esto garantizará no solo seguridad, sino también un futuro donde la confianza y el empoderamiento de nuestra soberanía digital estén en primer plano.

The Privacy of Personhood / Privacidad y Condición Humana: Una Colaboración entre Worldcoin & FWB

FWB had one of its most successful financial periods in Q3 of 2023. Our success can be primarily attributed to the strategic, community-driven partnerships we generated through FWB FEST. In addition to creating a unique and exceptional experience for our community, as covered by 

 with major leading brands and protocols, as well as a highly integrated NFT drop to kick off Coinbase’s new L2 Base, with Cozimo de Medici and Deekay.

Total partnership revenue generated by FWB in 2023 to-date is $849,000.

Q3 marks the first positive cash flow quarter in FWB’s history.

. This significantly surpasses our initial goal of $850,000 in partnership revenue for 2023.

FWB collaborated with Coinbase to launch Base with an inaugural NFT drop, curated by FWB, with Cozimo de Medici and Deekay, generating ~75,000 mints.

Spindl data shows that anotherblock and FWB were the biggest drivers of Base adoption. The Friends With Benefits (FWB) mint on On Chain Summer was particularly good at driving Base users to other dapps, with a Base retention rate of 38%.

Recurring compensation and expenses have been cut from $167,000 in April to an estimated $70,000 in July, 

reflecting approximately a 58% reduction in expenses. 

This is primarily driven by further decentralization of the team and the recent proposal to launch a separate entity in FWB Labs.

Operational overhead expenses have been minimized to essential necessities, including external legal and accounting services.

Considering the above, below is an overview of the resources we’ll need from the FWB treasury to continue progressing in Q4:

Expected runway of 18 months beginning Q4, 2023.

Heading into Q4, we are operating even leaner as a core team. We expect to have 3 full-time contributors, 6 part-time contributors, and 5 Community Council members by the end of Q4.

While we have to be careful about announcing future partnerships that are yet to be executed, we are fairly confident that we will generate an additional $350,000 in revenue across sponsorships and future NFT mints.

Operational overhead costs are now mostly limited to professional services and servicing.

Sharing a proposal to allocate a percentage of projected revenue generated by FWB to routinely buy $FWB tokens off the open market in order to replenish the treasury with our native token.

Our long-term goal is to be generating enough monthly revenue such that it meets our current monthly cash burn of approximately $82,250.

As we close out the year and look towards 2024, the team is primarily focused on the following activities from a revenue-generating perspective:

Continue to develop engaging partnerships with start-ups, institutions, and projects within and outside of the crypto ecosystem.

Collaborate with emerging artists on open edition NFT mints and other creative projects that drive revenue and more opportunities to the DAO.

Successfully launch and capitalize the FWB Labs software arm to create more software-enabled $FWB use cases.

Work closely with the incoming Council to strengthen member relations and improve new member leads.

F/W 2023 Budget Updates

All the nitty gritty on how well we did in Q3 and what's next for Q4!