Why did POAP go under? A hard-hearted critique from a Web3 entrepreneur
Play the devil’s advocate and offer a hard-hearted critique of POAP’s business model and product design to discuss how this beloved service ended up on the road to closure.
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the DeBook Protocol powering 3ook.com, a decentralized bookstore
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Farewell to POAP’s Geek Ethos: The Sunset of Web3 Check-in
POAP, the blockchain "proof of attendance" badge born at a 2019 hackathon, is winding down after five years because its founders' principled refusal to financialize or issue a token.
Over 100 Projects Shut Down in Seven Months: Writing in the Coldest Web3 Bear Market
This article takes stock of Web3’s brutal wave of exits and records this major industry restructuring in the wake of the hype.
Can We Sustain an Indie Library Together?
We are creating an independent library funded entirely by community subscriptions. By paying writers per minute read, we collectively sustain independent publishing.
Imperfectionism: Ship First, Let the World Help You Improve
Perfection is a direction, not a destination. Ship first, then improve it with your users—from my column to 3ook.com’s Cantonese AI narration to staying to mend an imperfect society.
Hong Kong Sends Undercover Agents Into a Bookstore
Hong Kong sent undercover agents into a bookstore's stand-up comedy night and won a conviction. Meanwhile, 168 died in a preventable fire and no one was prosecuted.
Dear Algo, What Is an Algorithm?
Dear algorithm, where's the best bubble tea?" Once a joke, now a habit — and Meta took it literally. A reflection on how algorithms went from transparent recipes to black boxes feeding us dopamine.
Bitcoin's Quantum Dilemma: Freeze the Coins or Let Them Be Stolen?
Q-Day is coming. BIP-360 proposes voluntary migration to safe wallets, while BIP-361 proposes forced freezing of old assets.
Instagram Removing End-to-End Encryption: a Precision Harvest
Meta is ditching Instagram DM E2EE to feed its AI refinery. Users mostly shrug, preferring convenience. It's a precision harvest, proving that for many, privacy is just an afterthought.
The price of privacy? HK$100k and 1 year in prison.
As HK Gov't demands device passwords, digital sovereignty is at stake. In a world where seeing is possessing, surrendering keys means losing assets and data.