Four years have passed, and we are now re-publishing The Sociology of Blockchain: Reimagining Money, Media, and Democracy now.
I feel a bit ashamed—while everyone is releasing new books at the Hong Kong Book Fair today, I can only offer a pre-sale outside the fair, and it’s not entirely a new work.
Nonetheless, this reissue won’t disappoint. It features a fresh design and editing, updates from 2020 onward, and new, unpublished content like "Four Years as a “Blockchain Decade”" and "DHK: The “DAO” to Onboarding Seven Million People."
As a thank-you for your support, all current paid subscribers, whether annual or monthly, will receive a 14.99 USD signed eBook version. I’ll notify you separately, so stay tuned.
For free subscribers, switch to an annual subscription now, and you’ll also receive a 14.99 USD signed eBook version while supplies last.
If you prefer the feel of a physical book, you can pre-order a Paper + eBook bundle on Liker Land for a special price of 19.99 USD, shipping in early August.
Foreword — Writing for Two to Three Decades
Although I only spent a few months during the COVID-19 pandemic actually writing, The Sociology of Blockchain feels like it has been in the making for two or three decades.
I've loved computers since I was young. In 1993, I enrolled at CUHK majoring in Computer Engineering, just as the internet was becoming accessible to the public. Back then, university students were among the few who had email addresses, could use the Mosaic browser to surf the web, and even create websites. I was completely hooked. But during my university years, I also delved into social sciences and discovered a broader world. This sparked a deep skepticism in me about how information technology impacts society—whether my profession was making the world better or worse.
I sought answers but found none. Social science theories hadn't yet grasped the internet, and my attempts to study its social impact in my engineering thesis were met with no interest from the professors. I filled my credits with computer engineering as my major and social sciences as my minor, and graduated hastily during Hong Kong's handover.
After graduation, I remained entrenched in information technology, constantly questioning how technology could positively impact society. Entrepreneurship gave me the freedom to make decisions, and I took every chance to use technology to engage with society. For instance, I used open-source software to provide affordable solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises. What seems obvious now faced significant resistance 20 years ago. The question "Who will be responsible if something goes wrong?" was one I was all too familiar with, not just in recent years since promoting blockchain.
For the past 18 years, I’ve mainly worked in mobile gaming. While some see it purely as entertainment, for me, it was a rare opportunity to build worlds in the digital space based on my values, a chance to apply social science theories in practice. In the fiercely competitive business jungle, I often conducted social experiments on a whim. Investors would gently remind me, “Contributing to society can wait”. They were right. I didn’t excel in business, and my attempts to change society through games were mere tinkering.
Then, I discovered blockchain, experiencing the same awe as when I first encountered the internet. The subsequent explorations are documented in the chapters of this book. I am grateful to Enrich Publishing for providing the space to write and to the editorial, design, and publishing teams for their support, allowing me to “speak freely” in an era where freedom of speech is increasingly restricted. (The first edition of this book was published by Enrich Publishing in 2020.) Thanks to my LikeCoin colleagues for handling the practical work, enabling my “unproductive endeavors”. I also thank everyone who has supported LikeCoin and DHK dao over the years. Many didn’t fully understand what I was talking about but supported me out of belief, which is both gratifying and distressing. I hope after reading this book, you won’t have to support in ignorance anymore.
The Sociology of Blockchain is heavy on theory but even heavier on practice; it discusses technology but focuses on humanity; it is written for the present and the future; it is written for myself but also for society. It humbly presents a complete discourse while determinedly pointing out new paths for our times. How far it will go and what impact it will have, I have no idea. This feeling is familiar—I still vividly remember June 9th, 2019. Annie, her colleagues from Matters and I had a meeting until noon, discussing the upcoming march. We all felt uncertain, but attending seemed obvious, at the very least as a testament to history. After all, who could predict the outcome?
Beyond negotiation and resistance, the most unstoppable path to achieving democracy is through creation. If the value and democratic advocacy in this book seem overly "idealistic" or impractical, consider what has happened over the past year. The ideas presented here aren't as far-fetched as they might seem. History is made by people, and the outcomes are unpredictable.
Finally, I dedicate this book to the memory of my late father, Ko Chee Boon. While I don't believe that a name determines one's fate, my father's name meant "fundamental cure", and my name means "reconstruction". Perhaps there is a higher power guiding me to address the root of problems and to rebuild our home and country.
P.S. After mentioning attending one wedding and four funerals last week, this week included another funeral, a hospital visit to see a mentor, and a trip to the cemetery to visit family. Staying in Hong Kong means more than just supporting local businesses—it also means being able to visit churches, hospitals, cemeteries, courts, and prisons.
