Ideas Powering a Decentralized Future

In a world where our online interactions are increasingly controlled by a handful of corporations, it’s more important than ever to recognize the value decentralized technologies offer for the future of the web.

As Techdirt’s Mike Masnick puts it: “For many of us, increasing decentralization has always been an important focus and goal, but it hasn’t always been clear to others why decentralization matters so much, or even what should be decentralized."

On November 30, Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web (FFDW) published the first edition of DWeb Digest, a digital magazine featuring essays from twelve leading DWeb advocates. Edited by Masnick, the magazine offers insights into why decentralization matters and shares perspectives on the challenges of decentralizing the web — for a better Internet and a better world.

Each essay dives into a unique aspect of decentralization and its broader implications across society. Here is a glimpse of what you’ll find in this collection: 

Expanding digital rights

FFDW’s Danny O’Brien discusses how decentralization can serve as a means to meet the needs of humans in an increasingly complex online world in his essay, "Terminal Values: Cognitive Liberty."

Preserving evidence for the long term 

Starling Labs’s Adam Rose and Basile Simon explain how blockchain technology helps preserve evidence of war crimes. 

The importance of privacy in the digital age 

While massive technological shifts over recent decades have offered many improvements to society, they have also granted governments and corporations unprecedented abilities to surveil individuals. Naomi Brockwell discusses how the erosion of privacy is not inevitable. 

Recognizing code as expression 

While code is a relatively new form of speech, strong code protections are critical to global software development, especially open-source software, Kurt Opsahl writes. 

In an increasingly online and interconnected world, the inaugural edition of DWeb Digest presents ideas about how decentralization can be transformative on the Internet and beyond. The essays represent the beginning of a wider conversation and a look into what's possible in creating a better, more decentralized future. Explore all twelve in the collection.

Network News

Submit your project to the Filecoin Ecosystem Explorer. Filecoin Foundation is developing a decentralized database of the Filecoin ecosystem that will launch in the new year. The repository will be the most comprehensive representation of the projects in the network, but given the sheer size of the ecosystem, we’ll need your input to complete it. Please take five minutes to add your project so we can show the breadth of the Filecoin ecosystem to the world.

Thanks for joining the Filecoin community in Bangalore! More than 1,000 people came together to hear from leading Web3 companies, projects, developers, and experts at FIL Bangalore, hosted by Huddle01. Keep up with upcoming Filecoin events at https://fil.org/events.  

Blockchain for Social Good with Evîn Cheikosman. In a new episode of DWeb Decoded, Evîn Cheikosman, director of the Blockchain Law for Social Good Center at the University of San Francisco, discusses the intersection of blockchain technology and social good. Learn about how her experiences with the World Economic Forum and the Crypto Sustainability Coalition helped shed light on the transformative potential of blockchain technologies.

Build with Us

Ready to help grow the ecosystem? Become an Orbit Ambassador. Since the program’s launch, 147 Orbit Ambassadors have introduced an estimated 10,000 early-career developers, students, and enthusiasts to the Filecoin ecosystem through 190 workshops and community hackathons in over 40 countries. Learn more about how Orbit enables the Filecoin ecosystem to engage with the next generation of builders and apply to become an Orbit Ambassador. 

Mark your calendar! The Blockchain Law for Social Good (BL4SG) x FFDW Social Impact Summit is slated for February 27, 2024. Convening academic experts, technologists, and policymakers, the Summit is designed to reach a broad and diverse audience of changemakers to spark bold ideas and spur community-driven global impact with emerging technologies. 

Governance

Nv21 Watermelon is coming on December 12. FIP0052, FIP0059, FIP0071, FIP0072, FIP0073, and FIP0075 will be included in the upcoming upgrade. FIP0070 has been descoped from the nv21 upgrade and will be added to the network in a future update. 

Join the FIP0001v2 discussion. FIP0001v2 is still accepting community feedback. The FIP0001v2 draft is the result of several months of in-depth research, consultations, and community engagements to improve the existing governance models of Filecoin. For more information, read FF's blog and join the community governance meetings.