Crypto-bros

In the early days of the Internet, there was so much optimism and idealism about what distributed networks could do.

Unfortunately, for many of them these ideals devolved into digital pyramid schemes that confuse arbitrarily inflated asset values with intellect, enabling propaganda with building community, and enabling criminality with expanding freedom.

Techno-Optimism that once sought to solve the modern problems of humanity has turned into an objectivist, futurist fever-dream, using effective altruism to justify enriching themselves, and being more concerned about the happiness and well-being of future humans than those suffering in the here-and-now reality that their technologies are shaping.

They promote a Mirror World version of metaculture based on TESCREAL -- Transhumanism, Extropianism, Singularitarianism, Cosmism, Rationalism, Effective Altruism, and Longtermism. While both systems of thought purport to be concerned about the future of humanity, metaculture focuses on what should be done in the here-and-now to help the living, while TESCREAL is focused on the sci-fi future when we have cyborg implants and colonize the stars. Such things are fun to contemplate, but it is incredibly sad and frustrating that so many of our smartest and most powerful minds dedicate their energy to helping theoretical future humans instead of living people on whom their money and talent could have a huge and immediate impact.

Idealistic and intelligent technophiles are easily led astray once the money train rolls in. Regardless of whether the money comes from crypto, a successful IPO, or even just a high-paying tech job, the lure of self-justification through libertarianism has a very strong pull. Those who have failed to resist its siren song are herein referred to as Crypto-Bros.