Unstoppable Podcast: Why NFTs Are Essential in Crypto's Renaissance?
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Unstoppable Podcast: Why NFTs Are Essential in Crypto's Renaissance?
Why NFTs Have a Deeper Social Impact Than the Printing Press
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsWritten by: 0xJosh.nft
Translated by: TechFlow intern
The printing press is considered one of the most important inventions in human history. I interviewed historian Joshua Rosenthal, who argued that NFTs are even more significant than the printing press. So why do NFTs have a deeper societal impact than the printing press? This article breaks down the content of that blog post.
History Is Repeating Itself
The Renaissance liberated hierarchical structures and hegemony, shaping the world we live in today. Crypto bears many similarities to that era—we're now emerging from technological concentration, and this shift is clearly visible in art.
Renaissance Means Rebirth
Rebirth unfolds around three pillars:
1. Identity: Your perception of self was static;
2. Value: Power was concentrated in the hands of a few;
3. Communication: Information was stored in physical documents and required permission to access.
Communities and technologies were disrupted
Ledger-based computing: Enabled the flourishing of financial primitives like debits/credits.
Permissionless communication: The printing press spread uncontrollable ideas.
The Printing Press Transformed Dissemination and Art
Art was central to the movement, conveying decentralized messages. Even if you couldn't read, you could understand the information expressed through art—information outside the control of the ruling class.
The Crypto Renaissance
The pillars of society are transforming once again:
1. Identity: Your perception of self is fluid; digital identity matters;
2. Value: Access to power is open to creators via the internet;
3. Communication: Information lives on-chain, with verifiable sources and ownership.
NFTs Are More Than Just an Image
Just as in the Renaissance, we use art to express values, rights, and principles. Now, images in the form of NFTs also allow us to connect with communities and exchange value.
Communities Create History Through Social Coordination Tools
1. Value exchange: Money
2. Information exchange: Communication
In this blockchain-based renaissance enabled by NFTs, we are experiencing the destruction and rebirth of how society exchanges value and information. Cryptocurrency represents a fundamental shift in how we communicate value and information—the internet is not the modern printing press; NFTs are.
In Web2, information flows through centralized networks; in Web3, communication is decentralized, and creators own their smart contracts.
NFTs Fundamentally Change How Value Is Created
FAANG companies function like medieval lords—value flows to them, yet they are not creators. They use magic (algorithms) to shape what you see, engineer behaviors from you, and harvest your labor (data) like farmers tilling fields.
Symbols and Images Are Powerful Communication Tools
Our world communicates constantly—we need a medium to convey ideas and cut through the noise. And NFT = information + value. Most people don’t realize this, just as they notice ripples on the ocean’s surface but fail to see the tides beneath. As NFTs advance, both value exchange and expression of thought will be radically transformed.
New art is often seen as "lowbrow." But when you're in the middle of a renaissance, you express ideas across all levels—from pixelated works like @cryptopunksnft to immersive multi-user metaverses like @OthersideMeta.
Our Identities Are Undergoing a Renaissance
Who you are and what you can do relates directly to what you see and understand. NFTs unlock our identities in the digital world by opening up communities and rights. Currency is a function of identity—you spend time where you spend money—and that reveals your values. In the metaverse, we buy NFTs that grant access to communities with their own slang and subcultures.
The Internet Is Modern-Day Indentured Servitude
People cannot freely move beyond the networks they’ve “signed” into—that’s how the internet operates today. We:
- Do not own our data
- Are locked into platforms
- Have our online behavior controlled by others
But cryptocurrency changes all of that.
Cryptocurrency mirrors past renaissance movements—we’re lowering the barriers to creation, evolving from the printing press to social media, and now to user-owned smart contracts. This marks the beginning of the crypto renaissance, and we’re heading toward a wild future.
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