Existential Crypto: Crafting a Culture of Conscious Technology

Could self-awareness be the key to a better Web3?

Everything we build: a system, platform, business, community, home, even a family — is an extension of ourselves. Our quirks, beliefs, and unexamined biases shape the world around us.

No technology is immune to its creators.

Web3 Summit reflection: a shift in energy

At the Web3 Summit, I returned to a space that had once felt like a fountain of cypherpunk energy, a place where idealists and engineers gathered to shape the future. But this year, something felt slightly different.

The pioneers who once inspired me with their ingenuity now seemed shaken, more paranoid than passionate. Conversations circled around the threats of technology, reflecting more fear than vision.

Then Jaron Lanier, the creator of virtual reality, took the stage and shifted the energy. He asked us: “Are people truly better off because of what we’ve built?” That question cut through the noise. It was a call to return to the heart of what matters—human well-being, rather than technical perfection or ideological purity.

His talk felt like a lifeline.

The hidden cost of looking outward: fractured attention ༄

I see many conversations defaulting to critiques of systematic flaws while ignoring the values and personal experiences that shape us. When people discuss memecoins, for instance, they focus on the shallow and performative aspects, ignoring the genuine expressions of creativity and playfulness that these trends can represent.

If you’re questioning why money, values, and communities seem so fractured, the answer may be simpler than you think: we’re looking outward instead of inward. The more we externalise our focus, the more fragmented our attention becomes. But if we turn inward, we allow genuine patterns to emerge—patterns that reflect our own values, backgrounds, and journeys.

An introspective approach creates coherence. Instead of reacting to everything, we can interact with the digital world as deliberate expressions of who we genuinely are. Rather than scattering into a thousand pieces, we can become a cohesive part of a larger whole; a unique knot in a vast, interconnected carpet.

Inner worlds and outer influence: who’s translating you?

“If we don’t go the last mile to connect with ordinary people, we create an elite technical priesthood.”

When technology is designed or presented without an understanding of real human needs, it widens the gap between creators and users. Inevitably, a digital ‘priesthood’ forms, reinforcing suspicion, paranoia, and disconnection. Bridging this gap requires voices that translate technology with empathy and accuracy.

How we talk about technology matters, as people interpret our intentions through their own biases. Trusted voices who see you clearly as a creator are essential to translating those intentions with care and awareness.

» Out of sync: we need true cultural translators «

Often, the role of translating technology is left to marketing, PR, advertising, and sometimes even HR—roles that each in their own way, subtly shape our desires, identities, and perceptions. These roles influence how we connect with technology, but when focused primarily on narratives, persuasion, or performance, they leave us with worlds that look real but feel hollow.

If we want a genuine, open-source culture—especially in crypto and Web3—we need to reconsider how we bridge technology with culture. This demands empathy, emotional intelligence, and accessibility, qualities that make technology a tool for connection rather than alienation. Without these, we risk a digital world accessible only to a technical elite, leaving others adrift in complexity and growing resentment.

In many ways, we’re already seeing the effects: as technology follows its own unchecked cycles, it leads to patterns that trap both creators and users in self-contained loops.

𖢥 Ant death spirals: a warning from nature

When army ants lose track of their main colony’s trail, they start following each other in a circle, creating a loop from which they can’t escape. They spiral, mindlessly, until they collapse from exhaustion.

This ‘death spiral’ is a metaphor for what happens when we follow patterns without questioning them. Without self-awareness, we risk creating feedback loops of fear, disillusionment, or stagnation–trapped in cycles that reinforce a worldview rooted in disconnection. If we don’t work to iterate and evolve, we keep living in outdated patterns.

Breaking free requires inner work and the courage to question habitual patterns. This inner work allows us to approach the world from a place of strength, turning suffering into resilience and beauty.

Harnessing fragmentation: a new way of being 𖥸

In our hyperconnected world, our identities are fractured across platforms. Usernames here, avatars there, a mosaic of scattered digital artifacts. Yet technology exists only within the context of humans; it’s a tool for connection, a collaborative extension of ourselves. It’s time to go full circle and reframe this fragmentation into something coherent and meaningful.

By embracing the diversity of digital experiences and integrating our fragments, we create a new way of being—a technology-enabled self, grounded in connection, where our digital and physical lives enhance each other.

☰ Inner alignment transforms technology ☱

Self-awareness and emotional health aren’t just personal; they’re foundational to a responsible digital world. The tools we build mirror our inner landscapes—if those are chaotic or disconnected, our technology reflects it.

Don’t lose yourself trying to make sense of the world. Reality is messy; embrace it. By honing our inner worlds, we create tech that fosters connection, not fragmentation. When we update our mental OS, technology naturally follows suit, embodying the coherence we cultivate within.

Imagine a web that feels like home ꕥ

We’re on the edge of a new kind of digital existence–one that calls us to look inward as much as we innovate outward. It’s not about launching just another platform; it’s about building a way of being. A web that feels like a sanctuary, where real connection and self-discovery can happen, where technology aligns with what we genuinely need.

꧁ Through Dayvan and Aesthetic Realms, I’m crafting new tools, workshops, and experiences designed to bridge your digital self and physical body. I’m all about creating a space where technology feels personal, where we’re not just users but whole beings.

I’m here for you. Whether you’re dealing with loneliness, doubts, or just feeling a little lost in all this, know you’re not alone. And if you’re curious about exploring a more connected way of being, I’m here for that too.

Love,

Dayvan ღ꧁ღ╭⊱ꕥ

PS. Book a 1:1 with me or reach out to collaborate

PPS. Raising funds for Aesthetic Realms here

𑁍 Disclaimer: I’m not a therapist—I’m a creative, a cultural translator who sees the brilliance in others.