Project Glitch

Buried within the dumpster fire of crypto and blockchain marketing hype, there are elements of what the folks holding the matches call “web3.” They are hard to spot, hidden as they are within a maelstrom of memes, rambling blog posts, hungover conference talks, and endless Twitter spats—but they are there. We believe the underlying technologies fueling this hype could change the ways people use the internet—and by extension how they organize, exchange ideas, and exert power in the world. Glitch is a journalism project that explores the conceptual meat of these technologies—what they’re really about, and why they might matter to the wider world. In these pages, we’ll introduce the people attempting to design new kinds of online spaces and interactions. We’ll strive to clearly explain what they're attempting to build and why. We’ll help you make sense of blockchains, cryptography, DAOs, data rights, NFTs, game worlds that no one owns, and any other topic we identify as Glitchy. We’ll document the phenomena that emerge from these systems, no matter how cringe it might get (and we will be discussing crypto a bunch, so it will get cringe). We want to help generate a more productive conversation about the future of the internet. While we are highly skeptical about many of the ways crypto and related technologies have been used thus far, we feel confident that beneath the veneer, the seeds of an important transformation are beginning to sprout. But they must be nurtured with rational, evidence-based discourse. We aim to provide that—while having a bit of fun in the process. We hope you’ll join us.