Wrapping Up 2025, Looking Ahead to 2026 :)

As the year wraps up, I took a moment to look back at what I’ve written in this newsletter I started in 2025.

Initially, it was a basic “what is it, what isn’t it?” approach for those curious about the Web3 world. But over time, it evolved. I’ve touched on a lot of topics, from NFTs to DeFi, DAOs to tokenization. Some of these I explored in the context of traditional or corporate work life.

I’ve written a first season that stretches from the story of Bitcoin’s emergence to Bitcoin Pizza Day, from real-world assets to events that are foundational to Web3 culture. I wrapped up that season with a #CryptoFriday story.

In the second season, I moved beyond the basics to ideas that touch our lives or try to, and the projects that apply them. I went from tokenization to the participation economy, from stablecoins to how these assets signal an infrastructure transformation in traditional finance.

Every now and then, while discussing the blockchain/Web3 manifesto and philosophy, I’d find myself saying “code is law,” and then immediately asking, “so who audits the code?” This question inevitably sparked some old memories. I dusted off my “security” hat from the shelves and ended the second season with a mini-series on Web3 security, exploring its differences and commonalities with the security we know.

Years of corporate experience, processes, approvals, controls… Even if you chart a completely different course for yourself, these don’t just vanish overnight.

This newsletter started with questions about what Web3 is and isn’t, but over time it became a space where I could think more deeply and synthesize my experiences in both the traditional corporate world and the Web3/blockchain ecosystem. After all, I’ve personally experienced the security and “feet-on-the-ground” feeling of the corporate world, as well as the excitement and seemingly endless FOMO of the blockchain world.

As I wrote and reflected, I realized how much the Web3 world has matured since I first stepped into it. While I still believe this technology will one day underpin many systems we use, I’ve also questioned how sustainable the ever-emerging networks, L1s, and L2s really are in this picture.

The manifesto, the philosophy, and the reason for its emergence still make a lot of sense. But I’ve explored at length in various pieces how Web3’s promise of “freedom” isn’t sustainable for everyone; how code, while providing certainty and equality in rules, isn’t enough for security on its own; and how decentralization can’t be an escape from responsibility.

As we step into 2026, my feelings haven’t changed much. In fact, the more I write and think, the clearer they become.

In 2026, I hope we’ll discuss and write about entirely new topics, developments, use cases, and much more tangible ways Web3/blockchain/crypto touches our lives.

Thank you for reading, commenting, and joining me on this journey throughout 2025.

Wishing everyone a 2026 filled with technology but not missing out on life, full of joy, excitement, and health.

See you in the next seasons.