Proud Globe Journal
On-chain Culture
Pixels, memes, digital land and internet history. Guides and field notes from the Proud Globe Journal.
Why People Collect Digital Things
The psychology behind collecting digital items, from game skins and trading cards to NFTs and badges, and what makes digital collections feel meaningful to their owners.
Leaving a Mark: Permanence on the Internet
Why people want to leave lasting marks online, how digital permanence really works, what disappears over time and how blockchains change the picture.
Crypto Mascots and Brand Characters
Why mascots and characters work so well for crypto brands, how communities adopt and remix them, and how to design a character that people want to share.
DAOs as Online Clubs
How many DAOs work less like corporations and more like online clubs, with shared interests, rituals, treasuries and membership, and what makes these groups last.
Guestbooks, Webrings and the Old Web Revival
Why guestbooks, webrings and personal homepages from the early web are returning, what they meant to online communities, and how crypto culture echoes their spirit.
Crypto Twitter: A Short Cultural History
How crypto conversation on Twitter, now X, shaped the industry's culture, language, humour and conflicts, and why so much crypto news still breaks there.
The Rise of On-chain Games
How on-chain games developed from simple collectibles to complex worlds, what makes them different from traditional games, and the design lessons learned along the way.
Crypto Conferences as Rituals
Why crypto conferences feel like cultural rituals, from side events and meetups to recurring traditions, and what makes gatherings valuable in an online industry.
Collaborative Canvases and Shared Online Art
How collaborative canvases like pixel boards turn strangers into temporary communities, what makes them work, and what crypto projects can learn from them.
Internet Scarcity: Why Limited Things Feel Valuable
Why limited digital items feel valuable in a world of infinite copies, the psychology of scarcity, examples from domains to pixels, and how to use scarcity honestly.
Pseudonymous Culture in Crypto
Why many crypto builders work under pseudonyms, how trust forms without real names, the benefits and risks, and how pseudonymous teams earn credibility.
Flags, Badges and Belonging Online
Why people display flags, badges and symbols in their online identities, how crypto communities use them to build belonging, and how to keep symbols welcoming.
Proof of Attendance and Digital Memorabilia
How proof of attendance tokens and digital memorabilia record participation in events and communities, why people collect them, and the privacy trade-offs involved.
Hackathon Culture in Web3
How hackathons shape Web3 culture, why builders attend, how to get the most from one as a participant or sponsor, and what happens to projects after the event ends.
A Crypto Slang Glossary for Newcomers
A friendly glossary of common crypto slang and shorthand, from gm and DYOR to rug and ape, with plain explanations and notes on the phrases that signal risk.
A Short History of On-chain Art
How digital art moved onto blockchains, from early experiments and generative projects to NFT marketplaces and fully on-chain works, and the questions that remain.
The Culture of gm in Crypto
How a two-letter greeting became a daily ritual in crypto communities, what it signals about belonging and optimism, and how projects can join in without forcing it.
Bitcoin Pizza Day and the Folklore of Crypto
The story of the 10,000 bitcoin pizza purchase in 2010, why crypto celebrates it every May, and how shared stories and rituals hold a decentralised culture together.
Profile Pictures as Identity in Crypto
How profile pictures became a core part of crypto identity, from NFT avatars to community traits, and what they signal about belonging, status and trust online.
ENS Names and On-chain Identity
How ENS names work as readable on-chain identities, why people and projects use them, how to set one up safely, and the limits of names as proof of trust.
Crypto Memes as Culture: Why They Matter
How memes shape crypto culture, from inside jokes and shared language to community identity and marketing, and how projects can take part without looking forced.
Why Crypto People Love Maps and Globes
Why maps and globes keep appearing in crypto culture, from node maps and adoption charts to community pins, and how geography helps a borderless industry feel human.
Digital Land: From Virtual Worlds to On-chain Maps
How the idea of owning digital land evolved from early virtual worlds and online games to blockchain metaverses and simple on-chain maps, and what buyers actually value.
Pixel Walls on the Blockchain: A Short History
How the pixel wall idea moved from the Million Dollar Homepage to Ethereum smart contracts and collaborative canvases, and what each version added along the way.