A little experimental NFT project exploring the conceptual and technical curiosities of “L2” in Bitcoin and other chains — Summary, tl;dr “layer_two” is a small, experimental NFT project inspired by how ecosystems expand and diversify. In crypto, this is best illustrated by “layers.” A base layer, or “L1,” is a foundation for layers built on it. A new layer built upon an L1 is referred to as a second layer, “L2.”…

What 100,000 transactions on Ethereum mainnet reveal about the coordination of charitable giving in blockchain — Crypto can evoke a curious contradiction. First, there is the sovereign individual, a concept that some see at the core. But there is a seemingly opposing force, processes of coordination and consensus. This contradiction is illusory. You cannot have the sovereign individual in this technology without trust-minimized coordination. These are…

Imagining an NFT that updates for a century, and the role of “semantic contracts” — This post describes a “semantic contract” that modifies a token on another NFT contract. It is a simple extension of the composability concept, but motivated by simplifying contract interaction into a kind of “on-chain dApp.” I then show a working proof of concept on the project the_coin. But first, to…

Small, experimental NFT project visualizing the social aspects of public blockchain and more — Table of Contents Summary / tl;dr Background Effects of the Panopticon For Owners: Welcome to “The Mesh” 4.1 Distribution 4.2 Contract 4.3 Visualization 4.4 DAO Mechanics 4.5 Charities 4.6 Guide to Contract Interaction 4.7 Terms and Conditions ✳️ Conclusion Endnotes Main landing site for The Mesh: https://the-mesh.eth.link

Classifying fully on-chain non-fungible tokens — Table of Contents Introduction Classification Scheme #1: Michelin Guide – External pointer (❌) – Calldata (⭐️) – Parameters + code on chain (⭐️⭐️) – Entire NFT on chain (⭐️⭐️⭐️) Classification Scheme #2: Practical Implications – Recoverable – Summonable – Composable – Evolvable How Can You Tell? – Art Blocks example Conclusion Background and…

A very simple “n of 1” contract formulation to add new value to existing tokens — Projects in the NFT space often introduce ways to create new value for collectors. One prominent theme in 2021 was a kind of “membership” model, especially with PFPs. Ownership of a Bored Ape Yacht Club NFT, for example, secured entry to a party during the NFT.NYC conference this past November…

A little gumshoe adventure in cryptoart — This brief post details some mild “chain archaeology.” It describes my hunt for the identity of an artist who made a particular work called “Priestess,” on KnownOrigin in 2018. Cryptoart leaves all kinds of traces, on traditional web platforms, but also in the cavernous depths of the chain. …

NFT projects reflect their network niche, and they are evolving — As a concept, “meme” was born in the late 1970’s, in the famous book The Selfish Gene. Described by analogy with genes, the concept of a meme is a unit of cultural and behavioral selection. Memes are transmitted from person to person — a hairstyle, a song, a way of…

Visual expression of time and ownership on chain — Summary / tl;dr A Gaussian timepiece is a simple NFT trinket. A timer. It’s an oscillator that cycles through a fixed number of seconds based on Ethereum’s average block time. But an owner’s relationship to a Gaussian timepiece is more complex. A timepiece contains “complications,” as they are called in watch-speak. …