We sold the peak of DeGods NFT sales in April after Frank DeGods announced I’m resigning. Solana experienced a 101% increase Ethereum an astounding 156%. Before we pop the champagne and celebrate the green candles, let's ask ourselves a crucial question: Are we prioritizing short-term profit over the very ideals that birthed this space? Have we really become so short sighted and influenced by hype that we lose track on what attracted to crypto the first place.

What does true decentralization mean?

Decentralization is not simply using distributed servers and CGI scripts to run your social platform. It's about power. It’s not just about building trust, it’s about dismantling the hierarchies that have historically concentrated power with a select few. In DeGods’ case, this involves far more than just owning a piece of digital art. It means having a genuine role in helping set the overall direction of the project, its governance, its longterm survival. That’s what it means to share ownership of the narrative—the community, rather than one person, owns the story.

The question is whether a founder, even a well-intentioned one, can honestly and authentically accomplish that under the continued control of the company. Imagine a small, family-owned Italian restaurant. The original chef, the nonna, had literally hand-crafted it. Everyone loves her recipes. What do you think happens when she’s the only one permitted to alter the menu? Innovation stagnates. New ideas get stifled. What is local and dear, however beloved the restaurant, suddenly becomes a museum piece.

Was Frank a centralizing force?

It’s pretty clear that Rohun Vora, aka Frank DeGods, opened up his heart and soul to make this magic happen. He led it, cultivated it, and gave it its own distinct flavor. Was that identity becoming too singular? Was his vision, even with all of his forceful implementations, despite all efforts, a bottleneck?

Think about it. Every decision, every strategic pivot, every marketing effort eventually had to filter through him. In particular, that’s a great deal of power concentrated in one person. Though Frank was undoubtedly brilliant, no one person is the sole owner of great ideas. Decentralization in truth requires a whole other range of openness and creativity, as well as a mentality to challenge conventional wisdom. It demands a community at the helm.

It's like open-source software. Linus Torvalds might have originally developed Linux, but he doesn’t get to decide what goes into it anymore. Thousands of developers fight, test, innovate against, and improve, making it more powerful as well as more resilient. This is the power of distributed effort. This is the promise of decentralization.

The Sacrifice for the Greater Good

I would argue that Frank’s departure – whether consciously intended this way or not – is a sacrifice. A sacrifice of ego, of control, of the comfort of being “the guy”. He’s moving to the sidelines so the DeGods community can fully own its future.

That’s a very gutsy move and that really should be applauded. He specifically denied ever having done anything wrong, and that’s wonderful. The real story here isn't about what he didn't do. It's about what he is doing: empowering the community to take the reins.

Pastagotsauce and 0x_chill are making the leap to leadership. They talk about growth and strategies. That's all fine. The true potential comes from what DeGods holders will be able to do. It's time to get involved. It's time to contribute. Now’s your chance to influence the direction of this exciting project.

This isn't just about DeGods. It’s an optimistic take, touching not just on the future of NFTs but the broader crypto space. Are we going to decide to re-create these centralized power structures again? Or will we give in to the forces that are undermining decentralization, community ownership, and individual empowerment?

  • Participate in governance: Make your voice heard in community votes and discussions.
  • Contribute your skills: Are you a developer, a designer, a marketer, a writer? Offer your talents to the project.
  • Challenge the status quo: Don't be afraid to question decisions and propose new ideas.
  • Build connections: Engage with other community members and collaborate on projects.
  • Educate newcomers: Help onboard new members and share your knowledge of the DeGods ecosystem.

The choice is ours. Let's not squander this opportunity. Let’s make this our chance to show the world what real decentralization can be. Let’s go create a truly decentralized beautiful thing, as one. The sacrifice has been made. But now, it’s our turn to make good on the opportunity.

The choice is ours. Let's not squander this opportunity. Let's show the world what true decentralization looks like. Let's build something truly decentralized and great, together. The sacrifice has been made. Now, it's our turn to rise to the occasion.