It's an onchain world

The move onchain is causing a shift from corporate networks to open systems

One reason driving the need for Open Money is to counterbalance the corporate networks that currently dominate digital life. These corporate networks control vast amounts of data and infrastructure, creating inherent risks for users, from privacy concerns to exploitative monetization models, not to mention controlling and deploying powerful algorithms that can influence public opinion.

The vision for Open Money: build decentralized, open, and secure alternatives for the critical pieces of our digital identities. Instead of corporations acting as intermediaries, blockchain networks would enable distributed decision-making, enforce rules autonomously, and facilitate transactions at scale. In this model, internet-scale functionality is possible without a centralized authority controlling the data, incentives, or economic flows.

But there's a pretty significant disconnect between the concept of Open Money and the reality or practical application of its principles. This is where understanding how to move onchain comes in.

Why move onchain now?

The shift onchain isn’t theoretical anymore — it’s happening, and it’s happening now. There are three major reasons why the timing is right:

Technology upgrades have lowered barriers. Faster and cheaper onchain transactions mean developers can build applications that function at scale without being cost-prohibitive.
The infrastructure is ready. Blockchain networks have matured to the point where they can support a range of applications beyond just mere speculation. New onchain apps range across digital use cases from social, creative, financial, and more.
User-driven adoption is growing. Onchain activity is being fueled by new forms of engagement and incentives that weren’t possible before.

The earliest use cases for onchain adoption are emerging where strong online communities already exist: music, art, collectibles, real-time games, and creator ecosystems. The key difference is that onchain interactions aren’t constrained by the limitations of corporate networks. Creators, publishers, and audiences can engage in direct, mutually beneficial ways, aligning incentives at every step.

Moving fully onchain still requires a few steps, but the experience is improving rapidly. As onchain services integrate and standardize, users will find it easier to navigate from one app to another. In many cases, all it takes to move between applications built on the same chain is signing in with a supported wallet.

The transition is well underway. The internet is unbundling. The old corporate networks are slowly fading into the background, replaced by something more open, composable, and user-owned. The move onchain is more than a technological shift — it’s a paradigm shift, one that puts control, access, and opportunity back in the hands of the people who create and interact online.

This post is part of the Open Money project, an ongoing series that forms the basis of a longer work. Subscribe to get a weekly update as it unfolds.

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