DeepSummary
This podcast episode features a recording from the 'Digital Ethnography and Blockchain Reading Group' kick-off, co-organized by Kelsey Napin from RMIT University, Tara Merck from Blockchain Gov, and Sent Hostin from Metagov. The guest speaker is Wasim Alsindi, a researcher, designer, and critical thinker involved in various blockchain projects.
Wasim Alsindi shares his background in science and his journey into researching blockchain and cryptocurrencies, including his work at MIT Digital Currency Initiative. He discusses the challenges of conducting ethnographic research in blockchain communities, which exist in both online and offline environments.
The discussion covers topics such as governance asymmetries in blockchain networks, the role of ethnography in designing user-friendly systems, and the importance of understanding the social dynamics within these communities. Wasim Alsindi also shares insights from his experiences as an insider in the Bitcoin community and his evolving perspectives on the technology.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Blockchain communities exist in a unique environment that spans both online and offline spaces, mediated by community norms and decentralized technologies.
- Conducting ethnographic research in blockchain communities requires identifying tensions, asymmetries, and inequalities within these systems.
- Incorporating ethnographic insights and user-focused thinking early in the design process of decentralized systems is crucial for creating more user-friendly experiences.
- Technological solutions alone may not overcome the social challenges faced by blockchain networks, as demonstrated by the Bitcoin scaling debate.
- Insider access and participation in blockchain communities can provide valuable insights into their governance dynamics and potential centralization tendencies.
- Researchers should be aware of their positionality and potential biases when studying blockchain communities as insiders or outsiders.
- Ethnographic research can uncover the human stories and social dynamics behind blockchain networks, complementing technical analyses.
- Interdisciplinary approaches and collaboration between researchers from various backgrounds can contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of blockchain ecosystems.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “We think this is interesting, but we think this is tricky because blockchain communities, of course, exist in this strange environment that is both online and offline. They are mediated by community norms, but also by these peer to peer technologies that can sometimes be quite tricky to change.“ by Wasim Alsindi
- “So we're looking for tensions or kind of insolubilities, asymmetries, disparities, inequalities and. Yeah, so for me, that's one of the most interesting and important things to look for.“ by Wasim Alsindi
- “What would be great is if we did a bit more of the kind of user focus thinking before we design the systems. And I think that's probably where ethnography can come in by kind of closing a loop with the technical development of these systems at a much earlier stage than is happening now.“ by Wasim Alsindi
- “And so this thing was you literally watching the thing centralized, turning into a cartel, kind of like a stage by stage. And so that was something I would never have uncovered by myself.“ by Wasim Alsindi
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Episode Information
Mint & Burn
RMIT Blockchain Innovation Hub
9/27/22
In this special episode, we share the recording from the kick off of the ‘Digital Ethnography in Blockchain & Governance’ Reading group, co-organised by Kelsie Nabben, RMIT University, Tara Merk, BlockchainGov, & Cent Hosten from Metagov. We’re joined by guest Wassim Alsindi, who is a seasoned researcher, designer, and critical thinker - involved in Bitcoin, creative arts production through 0xSalon, and MIT Computational Law Journal, among other projects. This is the first in a monthly series that we hope to share on the podcast.