I Got Protested! My #Web3 #Bitcoin Hackathon Recap & Response

I Got Protested: My Bitcoin Hackathon Recap and Response

I just returned from the Babage-organized Bitcoin hackathon in Medford, Oregon with exciting insights about the future of Web3 - only to discover that BTC enthusiasts had staged a protest outside my Berkeley studio while I was away!

The Protest Signs

The protesters left signs featuring my picture with text about "BSV onchain sovereignty" and references to block 917700. They apparently claimed to have posted something on-chain, though I couldn't find it when I looked up that block.

My reaction? I'm actually grateful for the free publicity! Instead of being upset, I'm extending an invitation: "Next time maybe we could just have coffee instead of doing a protest." I'd genuinely love to hear what they want to say, as I'm always open to dialogue.

Hackathon Highlights

While the protest was amusing, the real excitement was at the hackathon itself. The contrast couldn't be clearer - while some were protesting, others were building actual solutions on the original Bitcoin protocol.

Standout Projects:

1. Clockchain (2nd place) - A brilliant time-tracking solution built by someone who was fired for questioning discrepancies in his work hours. Clockchain puts employee time cards on-chain so both employers and employees have transparent, verifiable records.

2. Fitness App (1st place) - This application logs walking, running, and climbing data on-chain while giving users complete ownership of their information. You can choose what to make public (like that Mount Everest climb you want to prove) while keeping everyday activity private.

3. Ready Player One Game (3rd place) - Created by college students, this game features tradeable digital collectibles that can be clicked, purchased, and exchanged - all on-chain.

Notable People:

• Colin: A former Apple VR engineer who worked on Apple's headset for 4 years before entering the Bitcoin space. He uses VR to work with "20 different computer monitors" simultaneously in his headset while coding.

• Tai: A brilliant, socially awkward developer who's been coding since childhood when he received a Braille computer at age six. I describe him as "the real genuine authentic Vitalik" but building with integrity on Bitcoin.

• Matt Archie: A former Marine building a Bitcoin browser on the metanet, which will allow browsing with an integrated wallet.

Why This Matters: Vendor-Neutral Web3

The most important takeaway from the hackathon is understanding why BRC 100 (Bitcoin Request for Comment 100) protocol is crucial. Previous Bitcoin applications like Money Button and Sent By shut down because they weren't built on vendor-neutral standards.

BRC 100 creates a common language for applications to communicate on Bitcoin - like a universal standard that prevents centralization. As I emphasized in the video: "I want peer-to-peer. I want no centralization. That's how we win."

The metanet is Bitcoin's base layer Web3, and it's here now. The infrastructure is built, and applications are being deployed. It's like the early days of browsers in 1993-1994 before Netscape arrived.

The Bottom Line

While the protest was an unexpected surprise, it highlights the divide in approaches: some protest while others build. I'm firmly in the builder camp, focused on creating real solutions that eliminate centralization and return data ownership to individuals.

To the protesters: thanks for the laugh and the publicity. To everyone else: the real Web3 is being built right now on original Bitcoin, and it's the most exciting development in tech since the early internet.

Watch the full video here.