Speed and accessibility. That’s the siren song of Solana, and Doodles, like so many others, have bitten the hook. Is this emphasis on speed and cost-efficiency really an advance? Or are we instead headed toward a new and perhaps worse trap. They’ll testify that it’s all about democratizing Web3. I must admit, I remain skeptical that it’s not just a new buzzword for the powerful to reconsolidate their control.
Speed vs. Soul: Have We Compromised?
Ethereum despite all its gas fees, despite all its scalability issues of today, represented something. It was the OG, the blockchain founded upon the Turing Award-winning promise of true decentralization. It wasn't perfect, but it was trying. Historically, Ethereum took a giant step away from these concerns with its shift to Proof-of-Stake and the associated drop in energy consumption. At the same time, Solana, with its extreme validator centralization and frequent downtime, seems like a regression. In the process, we’re trading soul for speed, community for convenience.
Think about it this way: is a mass-produced, fast-fashion t-shirt from a sweatshop really better than a hand-stitched, ethically sourced garment that takes a little longer to make and costs a bit more? Their unique features and deeper symbolism aside, functionally speaking, they’re both the same thing—they protect your body. The values underlying each are worlds apart. Doodles’ decision is the equivalent to choosing the fast-fashion t-shirt. Yes, more people can afford it, but at what cost are we making things affordable?
Who Really Benefits From Lower Fees?
Let's be honest, the biggest beneficiaries of lower transaction fees aren't the average users buying and selling Doodles. First, the whales completely control the market. They are the market makers / high-frequency traders who execute billions of dollars in transactions and routinely arbitrage across exchanges. To them, even fractions of a cent compound to substantial earnings. Are we really making Web3 accessible and understandable for the average person? Or are we just clearing the path for the incumbents to crush the real competition?
Consider this: Doodles launched DOOD, airdropping 30% to NFT holders. Great! Who holds the most Doodles? The whales. So, who received the largest share of the airdrop? You guessed it. In many ways it’s a system that, while claiming decentralization, still rewards those who already have capital the most. Airdropping tokens can be compared to the process of handing out lotteries tickets, but instead just handing some people an entire book of tickets.
DreamNet: A Decentralized Dream or Just Marketing?
Doodles is promoting DreamNet, their AI-powered storytelling platform, as the secret to unlocking the potential of DOOD. In it, users create worlds and characters, and if another user uses your character or world, you earn DOOD. Sounds cool, right? Is it truly decentralized, or simply a cute marketing tactic used to drum up content and engagement? How much flexibility does Doodles keep in their hands moving forward with a platform? Who gets to choose what inventions are deployed and what innovations are overlooked?
While the promise of creating tokens through our artistic creativity is seductive, we need to remain skeptical. Are we really creating this authentic, local, organic scene? Or are we all just blindly engineering a digital serfdom 2.0, where the users themselves are persuaded to create the material but are doing so only to enrich a highly centralized company. In order for this collaborative work to not reproduce the same old power dynamics, it is critical to analyze potential for long-term exploitation.
The Adidas and McDonald’s collaborations are a big indication that Doodles is looking to be the one that connects Web3 and established consumer brands. This vision requires a delicate balance. After all, mainstream adoption is the key to making Web3 thrive. We can’t let that lead us to abandon the principles of decentralization, community ownership, and equitable access along the way.
In the end, Doodles’ Solana jump is forcing some unpleasant questions to be asked about where Web3 seems to be heading. Are we putting too much emphasis on speed and accessibility while ignoring decentralization and equity? Are we doing more than just talking about building a more inclusive future? Or are we simply replicating the same old power dynamics in this exciting new virtual playground? Only time will tell if Doodles’ bet pays off. Let’s continue to keep our eyes on the prize and ask hard questions along the way. The future of Web3 depends on it.
