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Who Controls the Memes, Controls the World
In today's world, a movement exists that's more potent than hurricanes or tsunamis, transcending any marketing campaign or trendy influencer strategy. This force comes from a community unified by a single vision and objective, showcasing the immense power of coordinated effort.
We live in an era where memes are the catalysts for change. Do you wish for your idea to spread like wildfire? Aspire to go viral or be influential someday? Maybe we'll unravel these mysteries... or perhaps not.
The Genesis: The Power of Points
It all started with points, a seemingly simple concept outside the blockchain that has become a significant magnetism in recent months. These aren't groundbreaking innovations; they're traditional reward points, reinvented for the digital age. In a surprising twist, the outdated and deflated 'wheels' of other social networks find themselves reinvented in this new context.
These points, once seen in PWA apps like FriendTech, made their way to platforms such as Rainbow and Farcaster. What happened on Warpcast was even more intriguing: offchain points found an onchain utility. Imagine, traditional points now used for onchain activities like minting NFTs on Zora, rewarding users, creating channels, and more. By the time you read this, there will likely be even more uses for these points – real utilities that the world has been clamoring for.
This frenzy of points everywhere led to the birth of Farcaster's first native memecoins: $points opened the gates, followed by $wowow, then came $spam, $farts, and even a memecoin generator… The rest is history.
But the real strength of the movement resided in a particular channel: /degen.
Basic Information about $DEGEN
Network: Base
Creator: Jacek
Supply: 37 billion
Github: degen-tips-contract
Website: degen.tips
Degen: A Decentralized Brand Perspective
Degen emerges from a Permissionless Brand like Farcaster, making it crucial to integrate both in the Brand3 landscape. Degen represents the community, and the community has chosen Degen as a departure from the conventional, a response to those who label us as CryptoBros. Degen is our identifier, a badge we wear proudly within the ecosystem, come what may.
Originally, Degen started with a basic casino chip symbol – a purple token with a dollar sign. But to truly become a Brand3 with magnetism, it needed more.
The Solution: Quick, Direct, and Democratic
An open bounty invited the entire community to propose a new logo for Degen. The initial rewards were modest: 5M for the winner and 1M for the next four designs. The rules were simple – one proposal per user, submitted by a set deadline. 100 logo proposals were submitted, ranging from elegant and sober designs to wild creations spawned by AI and other visual resources.
The Top Hat emoji quickly became a meme, widely used in conversations. By day three, it was clear to me: The symbol is the emoji, the emoji is the meme, the meme must be the logo... Drawing inspiration from the emoji, I worked on refining this element, knowing the best logos function well at any size and are quickly internalized by the public. I created multiple color versions and proportions, swiftly realizing my vision and crafting a typographic element to accompany it. The sophistication of degeneration needed to be present, hence the choice of a serif font, adding that sophisticated touch, while the ecosystem itself would bring the degenerative aspect.
Envisioning the hat as the Nouns' glasses, I maximized this key element. I created some memes, shared the files with key users, and quickly, others began using it, modifying colors and shapes. The people made the logo their own, unknowingly becoming part of the brand. I integrated it into my PFP, and others followed, spreading the word.
On the day of voting, I was excited, not so much for the tokens (though a bit of Degen is in all of us) but for the chance to be the designer behind Degen's logo, the referential memecoin of Farcaster. I had tried with Points and participated in other significant branding processes, but here, I was eager to build this Brand3 with the community. There were formidable competitors, showcasing the growing pool of talented designers on Farcaster, inspiring and supporting each other, sharing knowledge and value every day.
And I won!
Those 125 votes marked a turning point in my career. I'm grateful for the unwavering support from communities like CryptoPlaza, FLOC*, BRICKS, and Brand3. We achieved this together, and it will always be a cherished accomplishment.
But do you know why it's so special?
Because, even after all this time and effort, we are just beginning.
Think Degen.
How To Use Farcaster and Warpcast
Still unsure about what Farcaster and Warpcast are? Or need help because you've been away for a while and want to catch up on what's happening on the sufficiently decentralized social network? Discover it with the help of Zerion, and also find the NFT I recently launched of the Farcaster Landscape inside...
The truth is, it can sometimes be challenging to keep up with the latest from Farcaster, as we've just seen with the launch of Frames. That's why I believe it's essential for specialized publications to emerge to keep us well-informed about the latest developments. This is why I recommend following people like @brownalytics and their creation of the Degen Newsletter on Paragraph.
Post-Identity Design: Brands, Politics, and Technological Instability
For years, branding has been a key strategy in building brands that spark cultural movements within their audiences. This intriguing article presents some examples of how major corporations have experimented in this regard.
“The imagination has no limits. The physical world does. The work exists in both.”
Rick Rubin
Degen — " Decentralized Gentleman/Gentlewomen ”
Degen is a lifestyle. It's a way of understanding technology, supercharged with socialization, entertainment, and fun. Be Degen my fren.
There was a pivotal moment for me when creating BRICKS as a multiplayer creative community. Then, I launched the On Bricks collection to put all those ideas that emerge in this imaginative space onchain. That's when the idea to upload the OG Degen's logo came about, followed by compiling the best memes I've found of the Degen's brand. I'm not sure what comes next, but I'm certain we'll do it together and have a great time sharing knowledge. Let's keep building together...
Written and designed by @esdotge
Wow Congrats once again esdotge 🔥🎯
Added to "Materials" in the DEGEN ecosystem map :D
go go go
Designers! I just created a place to find useful design resources for & from Farcaster projects & tokens. Feel free to send me any new resources, links, articles and more to be added to this resources platform. Hope you find it useful and enjoy! https://organized-knee-7f9.notion.site/Design-142cc8a84685807c8befe6b2be6cae54
Feel free to add your support with Microsub: https://microsub-nomination-frame.vercel.app/api
@esdotge.eth @floc I took the liberty to add some of your resources to it as well. Let me know if you want to add stuff to it ;)
wowow!!! Amazing idea!!! 1000 $DEGEN
Owowow! Thank you for the amazing tip!
❗ Important update ❗ The original link no longer works! You can now find the repository here: www.uiresource.design
thank you!!!
My pleasure! The url has changed to http://uiresource.design/ ;)
coming in handy glad this is pinned
To be sure the link has changed: http://www.uiresource.design/
I share with you the /brand3 @paragraph where we talk about Web3 brands in case you think it is interesting to include it... https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3
Oooh nice! Could be cool to add with a new list for channels related to design! Thanks!
Great! For example, this publication is about the creation of the degen brand... https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
Added a new section for publications and added the Degen story to it :) https://organized-knee-7f9.notion.site/Design-142cc8a84685807c8befe6b2be6cae54
link doesn't work, maybe quote it with the new link and have that pinned instead?
Indeed changed the link. There should be an !update! cast in there. New link is http://uiresource.design/
how did you get the first link pinned?
How do you mean? The update cast pinned to this cast? Not sure if possible. But pinned the latest update to my profile
wow cool
The url changed http://uiresource.design/
200 $DEGEN
Thank you! 🙏
ty fren 104 $degen
Thank you! 🙏 🙏
I can't do it
Nice! 100 $degen
Thank you!
Who Controls the Memes, Controls the World… https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
love it memes 😍
I think we control the game because of why if you have a game control in our hands we have everything you know what I mean 🙃
It's certainly a good phenomenon that a lot of people can simply enjoy
That’s true… sir
Degen emerges from a Permissionless Brand like Farcaster, making it crucial to integrate both in the /brand3 landscape. Degen represents the community [...] a response to those who label us as CryptoBro. Degen is our identifier, a badge we wear proudly within the ecosystem. https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
50 $DEGEN
Be Degen my fren… … and vote for the Unpredictable Power of Memetic Movements! 🎩 https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
512 $DEGEN
How to get farcon pass?
177 $degen
I Want You To Vote… (One More Time) 🎩 😅 https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
45 $DEGEN
The moment of truth has arrived, the time for Brand3!!! For Degens 🎩 For Design Fans 🧑🎨 For Branding Lovers 🥷 Vote for my candidacy to secure our Lightning Talk for FarCon! 💜 Thank you all!!! https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
Good luck!!
🤍🤍
Lets goo broo 333 $degen
In recent months, my life has transformed dramatically! I'm eager to share this journey at @farcon, where Degen's rise marks a revolution for onchain builders... A true whirlwind of change! 🎩💥 Birth of Degen on /brand3 @paragraph https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
1000 $DEGEN
3333 $DEGEN
I wanted to talk to you about the whole brand3, will catchup soon.
GE! I didn't know this story. WOWOW! 200 $DEGEN Best wishes for /farcon and beyond. Happy to connect with you here on WC 🤗
your eggs still dont work... why grift
Hi, GM good morning, on Monday we will review the case of your egg, we have our Dev in NY, but don't worry, we can solve it for sure. Sorry for the delay
🫡🥂☑️ got it boss
Why not be patient, devs deving dycp
that works too 🎩 although they were supposed to open on the 29th but 🤷🏻♂️ seems like devs kinda dgaf about the retail speculation but no worries im just trynna find out where everyone stands on this app rn
also ive given my txn multiple times over the past few days while they produce more mints that lead to nowhere just wonderin what im lookin at 👀🥂
What are you saying? 🤪
I’m just going to say that if you want to play the money game, it gives to the patience and takes it from the impatient. If you want 100M tomorrow it’s going to be very difficult but if you want them in 10 years it’s more plausible
Go ahead Sergio and don't stop the music!!! 🎩 🎩 🎩
Much congrats, Sir 🎩 Top legend. Keep it crushing it, tio!
23 $DEGEN
couldn't be more excited to announce FarCon Lightning Talks, powered by @paragraph wanna give a lightning talk? or choose the ones you wanna hear? great news, you can. we're decentralizing Lightning Talks to everyone with a FarCon pass: paragraph.xyz/farcon. shout out to @colin! frames.neynar.com/f/38cdde63/d03915a7
@ilemi submit your Dune talk @antonio submit your web3 ad/marketing/GTM talk @jacob @zora we would love to hear from you @jacek @six want to share about community-led memecoins @july @linda perfect time to submit the "15 min talk about anything" @warpcastadmin.eth can you teach us how to troll @nounishprof DAOs :)
I’m bullish on hearing boro
You know I’m about to go off
Hey @billzh @derekgtaylor @nonlinear.eth let’s do a reprise! And maybe @ccarella.eth can join us! I’m submitting it! 🙌 let’s chat about the state of the DAOs & all that’s changed in a year!
Let's do it!!!
Argh... I am seeing this just now. I guess it's too late to make a submission? 🥺
👋 Ted, just DMed :)
great job on this. I’m submitting my ⚡️talk on /loyalty
dumb question but can you add a cast about what is a lightning talk? is it during the main event, one of the side events, etc. etc. sorry if I missed this somewhere
updated to second frame!
awesome thanks! update launch announcements seamlessly if you announce via frames haha
neynar frame studio makes it easy :) now if only it was on mobile heheh
love this decentralized voting idea btw!
Would you like to hear the story of the birth of the Degen brand and how it changed my life??? 🎩 https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
Just reporting that I can't vote since it states that I don't have a Farcon Pass. To be safe I double checked and unlock does state that I have one.
cc @colin
Would love to see a discussion between @jacek @syndicate @conduit @airstack.eth about Degen L3
AND @adrienne we need your scenius again but with a one year later viewpoint!💜
Hmmm maybe a “how to infiltrate a scenius” talk? What is scenius How to infiltrate Did the scenius die as farcaster got big?
YES PLEASE!!!!!! 🙌
Only because you asked so nicely 😘 https://warpcast.com/adrienne/0x79a8cf30
Some people get to assert their views as leading consumer crypto. Others have to build their own way in spite of organizational barriers. My talk proposal: "The Alternative Thesis to Consumer Crypto". Will prepare the submission soon, please vote if you'd like to hear someone else's voice in the room besides Base.
Seems that frame rendering has a bug right now: https://paragraph.xyz/@quilibrium.com/the-alternative-thesis-of-consumer-crypto
So I have a farcon pass? I don’t know where to look after applying @ted 🙏
@colin you best /degen
Why is the silk hat a symbol of DEGEN?
I’m not sure of the full story, but this is the original creator of the now famous $degen logo https://warpcast.com/esdotge.eth/0x7e3079d7
Birth of Degen — Who Controls the Memes, Controls the World… https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
2000 $DEGEN
classic degen 🔥
happy degen to you
Ok calling for some research help! I'm looking for everything good that's been written about @farcaster Please share any essays, blog posts & threads below (podcasts are cool too) Could be about how Farcaster works, why it matters, related projects/businesses, personal anecdote, all of it Compiling something 😈
@esdotge.eth has a pretty rad, ecosystem infographic NFT and /fartone collection - @mcbain would also be all over this
I have written so many casts but not enough long form
Thanks!!! 3333 $DEGEN
Toto Tranquilo hermano queso
I mean all of @yb content about farcaster is top tier, here's a fun one on channels I particularly enjoyed reading https://onchainletters.xyz/channels
Appreciate the shoutout Ben! @benroy also wrote this piece from 2 months ago: https://onchainletters.xyz/farcaster
Amazing, thank you for sharing this!
Got this 101 on Farcaster Frames 🤓 https://metaversal.banklesshq.com/p/farcaster-frames
Dopeee, ty sir
Actually just pub'd this one a few minutes ago too, talks about how to drop a free NFT mint frame via Zora + Warpcast https://metaversal.banklesshq.com/p/free-nfts-farcaster-frames
https://thegeneralist.substack.com/p/dan-romero?utm_source=substack&publication_id=15764&post_id=142617096&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&utm_campaign=email-share&triggerShare=true&isFreemail=true&r=181ek&triedRedirect=true
Clutch, ty for sharing each of these!
https://warpcast.com/dwr.eth/0xa7360925
https://zeneca33.substack.com/p/letter-50-farcaster-warpcast-whatcast
https://zeropod.xyz/#kind-strangers-on-the-internet-zeropod-ep-16-with-dan-romero-aka-dwr-founder-of-farcaster
Let me help on this one
Farcaster Landscape — https://zora.co/collect/zora:0x0d299f28f6c3d01332bbd73b51bcee3dcd71eb26/2
Birth of Degen — https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
ty!
odegeneration — https://warpcast.com/esdotge.eth/0x30e52c6d
https://twitter.com/doyle126/status/1770861805822149080
https://tally.mirror.xyz/AxBX7LhF3kQME9lk7J8M7l4_LM0ZDP8_2jw3mHA0Gd4 from me this week
Thank you Riley!
This is fire
🫡 💖 tyty!!
I put together a few blog posts to help people understand the bigger picture here 😊 https://paragraph.xyz/@wanderloots.eth/worldbuilding?referrer=wanderloots.eth And the longer form version here: https://open.substack.com/pub/wanderloots/p/36-building-the-social-fabric-of
"Lessons Learned" on $ticker and a Farcaster experiment born from the fiasco: https://zora.co/collect/base:0x7715abb2c8f3489acecaf6f6d0b5ebf9bb11624b/3 "Over Engineered Networks, Toxic Communities" on the OG vs. New User culture clash https://paragraph.xyz/@proxystudio.eth/culture-wars
Thank you for these!
https://onchainletters.xyz/microeconomies @six's "A letter to Emerging Microeconomies" on /onchainletters by @yb
@leo5 essay "hyperstitions" not directly on Farcaster but certainly related https://leo5imon.com/hyperstitions
@markfishman "concept testing: concept #0, the meta-concept" introducing a sufficiently decentralized incubator /concept-testing https://paragraph.xyz/@concept-testing/concept-0?referrer=0xa1a750080e96293dceb237c76b9ca10c20e1b49f
What about stuff like this? https://warpcast.com/eclecticmethod/0x2964a6bc
episode 16 https://zeropod.xyz/
@nawashi.eth he has something to say for sure
Building ODEGENERATION — From the inception of the /odegen idea, we believed this project was going to stand apart, which is why we drew inspiration from the major players in the ecosystem to build it. Now, it's time to launch other ideas that have been on our minds... https://frame.odegen.xyz/
The truth is, everything started after winning the $DEGEN logo contest proposed by @jacek. This was a turning point for me. You can read about these experiences in /brand3 Paragraph... https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
Degen's brand then became a community asset. It evolved into a Headless Brand with a CC0 license, and the memes did the rest. The hat's narrative has become a powerful expression of an entire generation's message within @farcaster... https://zora.co/collect/zora:0x0d299f28f6c3d01332bbd73b51bcee3dcd71eb26/5
It was then that the spark for the meme ignited 🎩 🐸 I pitched the idea of using the canvas from one of my favorite Web3 projects: @opepen by @jack I utilized this foundation to start envisioning what could become a collection representing the Open Degen generation https://warpcast.com/esdotge.eth/0xb33009c5
To make it a reality, you need a great team. And who better than @floc to get it done. The pioneering community-led strategic design studio... This is where I must highlight the creativity and potential of @dsord3r.eth, @victoctero, and @fenix79. https://frames-gallery.vercel.app/gallery/FLOC*DECK24
Awesome, I really enjoy hearing stories like these. By the way, the Degen logo is incredible! 10000 $DEGEN
love to see it!
9999 $DEGEN
2000 $DEGEN Love what you all have done so far and excited for odegen's future! dign 'Brand3' initiative 🤙 🎩
5000 $DEGEN
3000 $DEGEN
Big fan of this work! 3000 $degen
1738 $degen And 🍖 x 1738
@degentip !tip @esdotge.eth 100000
@wake, you do not have enough balance to tip 100000. Top up your wallet to send tips by sending it $DEGEN! 🎩 Your wallet is linked below (copy/paste sucks on warpcast mobile) https://basescan.org/address/0xC777F54B52175F08D1a0eB8B3A04EFa9FB4717C1
what
I love that polo shirt, that looks so great! 700 $DEGEN
Cool! 1000 $DEGEN
Coolest pfp with native $DEGEN 1000 $DEGEN
I can't wait to learn more about these ideas.
326 $DEGEN
5000 $degen
Cool! 500 $DEGEN
we are odegen! 100 $DEGEN
Who Controls the Memes, Controls the World… https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
Gn Degntleladies and Degentlemen! I just collected #7 — Birth of Degen nft🎩 nº13 Maybe you want to collect it also. @esdotge.eth
I'd love to share with you a behind-the-scenes look at the design of the Degen logo through the /Brand3 newsletter... Enjoy!!! 🎩 https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
Gorgeous graphic! 💜
2500 $DEGEN
777 $degen
50 $DEGEN
I'd like to share something I've been writing for a few days... The story of the birth of the Degen Brand3, driven by the power of community and memetic movements. Hope you enjoy it... 🎩 🐸 https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
500 $DEGEN for you!
1000 $DEGEN
🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩🎩
200 $DEGEN 🟧🎯
500 $DEGEN
#7 — Birth of Degen 🎩 The Unpredictable Power of Memetic Movements... https://paragraph.xyz/@brand3/birth-of-degen
1000 $DEGEN
memetic mastery at work well done
well done! 210 $degen
333 $DEGEN
420 $DEGEN
Ty for this. 1000 $degen