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Web3 was supposed to give us sovereignty. Instead, we’re rebuilding the same rigid identity systems from Web2 -- just onchain.
🔹 Reusable KYC? A convenient trap.
🔹 Universal social graphs? More legible to platforms, not people.
🔹 Decentralized identity? Bureaucratic system with extra steps.
Web3 was supposed to give us sovereignty. Instead, we’re rebuilding the same rigid identity systems from Web2 -- just onchain.
🔹 Reusable KYC? A convenient trap.
🔹 Universal social graphs? More legible to platforms, not people.
🔹 Decentralized identity? Bureaucratic system with extra steps.
"If we don’t rethink this, Web3 will become an even better surveillance machine -- not a revolution."
🔹 Identity is not static -- it changes based on context.
🔹 Identity is built through relationships, not credentials.
🔹 Making identity “decentralized” doesn’t fix this -- it might make it worse.
🚫 Wrong: Making identity legible to the system.
Right: Making people legible to each other.
For example, I don’t need a passport to prove I'm Kris from the Optimism Show.
Or Vittorio from the Optimism Show.
My reputation and interactions do that naturally.
🔹 Identity stays local-first—stored on your device.
🔹 You control how your contacts and wallets are labeled.
🔹 In Addresso (Philip's company), your address book directly syncs across your devices, not through a third party.
Most identity solutions treat reputation as a static score. identity and trust aren't a one-time verification -- they're living, breathing things.
🔹 Reputation should be built through relationships, not credentials.
🔹 Identity should be flexible, not a permanent record.
🔹 Trust should come from social proof, not just top-down verification.
Wrong assumption: Decentralization = freedom.
Better approach: It depends on who controls the data and how identity is structured.
Wrong assumption: People need a universal identity.
Better approach: Identity should be contextual and adaptable.
If we don’t rethink identity now, Web3 will just become Web2 with extra step.
IQ.wiki is redefining AI agents and DeFi with IQ ATP, a platform for truly autonomous, on-chain AI that can manage assets, optimize DeFi strategies, and operate independently -- just like a DEX.
🔹 No More Dev-Controlled Bots → These agents actually own and manage assets themselves.
🔹 Smarter DeFi → Staking, yield farming, bridging -- handled automatically so you don’t have to.
🔹 Built to Last → On-chain verification + composability means agents can work together to accomplish tasks.
You can check $IQ on:
CoinMarketCap | Website | Twitter
DISCLAIMER: This is not financial advice. Projects carry risks. Always do your own research (DYOR).
"If we don’t rethink this, Web3 will become an even better surveillance machine -- not a revolution."
🔹 Identity is not static -- it changes based on context.
🔹 Identity is built through relationships, not credentials.
🔹 Making identity “decentralized” doesn’t fix this -- it might make it worse.
🚫 Wrong: Making identity legible to the system.
Right: Making people legible to each other.
For example, I don’t need a passport to prove I'm Kris from the Optimism Show.
Or Vittorio from the Optimism Show.
My reputation and interactions do that naturally.
🔹 Identity stays local-first—stored on your device.
🔹 You control how your contacts and wallets are labeled.
🔹 In Addresso (Philip's company), your address book directly syncs across your devices, not through a third party.
Most identity solutions treat reputation as a static score. identity and trust aren't a one-time verification -- they're living, breathing things.
🔹 Reputation should be built through relationships, not credentials.
🔹 Identity should be flexible, not a permanent record.
🔹 Trust should come from social proof, not just top-down verification.
Wrong assumption: Decentralization = freedom.
Better approach: It depends on who controls the data and how identity is structured.
Wrong assumption: People need a universal identity.
Better approach: Identity should be contextual and adaptable.
If we don’t rethink identity now, Web3 will just become Web2 with extra step.
IQ.wiki is redefining AI agents and DeFi with IQ ATP, a platform for truly autonomous, on-chain AI that can manage assets, optimize DeFi strategies, and operate independently -- just like a DEX.
🔹 No More Dev-Controlled Bots → These agents actually own and manage assets themselves.
🔹 Smarter DeFi → Staking, yield farming, bridging -- handled automatically so you don’t have to.
🔹 Built to Last → On-chain verification + composability means agents can work together to accomplish tasks.
You can check $IQ on:
CoinMarketCap | Website | Twitter
DISCLAIMER: This is not financial advice. Projects carry risks. Always do your own research (DYOR).
5 comments
If you haven't listened to the episode with @sheldrake from @addresso, we summed up the gist of it in this newsletter cc: @vittoriocappelli https://insights.optimism.show/🪪-blockchains-identity-crisis
P.S. @sheldrake check out your comic self :)
I really like this format. It made the content very accessible and I'm more interested in looking into the topic, all without leaving my feed. I wouldn't have had time to listen to the show right now, but I'm more inclined to come back to it later or at least look into it more instead of scrolling by, thinking "oh i'll have to check back on this later" and then forgetting for weeks/months/forever.
Great to hear that, thank you for the feedback! 🙌
😀