Thread by @cburniske

1/ Crypto’s not seeing mainstream user traction, but it is seeing mainstream developer traction, and the developers are the precursors to the users.

2/ Devs are adopting crypto earlier because the “can’t-be-evil” of cryptonetworks matters more to them than it does to the user.

3/ Many mainstream devs have already been burned by building on centralized platforms that cut access for competitive reasons.

While some users have experienced such loss of access, they tend to be users that operate more on a societal fringe, not the mainstream.

4/ Censoring fringe users allows mainstream users to forgive or applaud the centralized platform’s control, and thereby continue using the platform.

5/ In contrast, mainstream devs lose access bc they build a great product that the centralized platform realizes is a good monetization opportunity / competitive.

All devs can see the unfairness in that, or at least that the deck is stacked against them.

6/ And so devs are turning to crypto en masse, where access to the underlying network can’t be revoked.

7/ A cryptonetwork’s very functioning relies on all information being shared, open, and free, which dissolves the cut-off anxiety that devs suffer from with centralized platforms.

8/ All of this matters because the promise of a cryptonetwork’s openness is attracting excellent talent.

That talent will then build the best digital services and experiences over time, which is how we get the mainstream user.

9/ I don’t think crypto gets mainstream users through spouting ideologies to achieve psychological conversion.

Conversely, I actually think such tactics, when done without taste, turn away the majority of mainstream users.

10/ It’s novel services, or on-par services offered for cheaper than companies can, which will convert mainstream users to crypto.

11/ In many cases, mainstream users won’t even know that part of the service they’re using relies on a cryptonetwork (or cryptonetworks).

They’ll just know they’re using a great or cheap service, or maybe even a service that earns them money for using it.

12/ It’s the fringe users that care about ideologies and will convert to using cryptonetworks as much as they can for their respective reasons (myself included).

13/ And I'm not using "fringe" as a pejorative. I think a lot of great beliefs and values (maybe the majority?) could be considered to be held by the fringe.

Or are maybe touted by the mainstream, but not felt deeply enough to move behavior?

14/ Either way, a lot of crypto's users today are the fringe--requiring the extra-incentive of an ideology to use crypto services--because despite great efforts and progress, crypto services remain much harder to use than Web 2.0 products.

15/ And that's okay. Fringe users have the patience to work with the developers to iterate on services that will incrementally convert the mainstream into users.

The mainstream won't have that patience -- things will need to "just work," and reliably so.

16/ So thank your fellow dev & fringe-user, and educate the mainstream user about the novelness or cost-savings or earnings of crypto services.

Ideologies may seep in as you educate, and the mainstream may be drawn to wander down those paths, but don't lead w/ the ideology.