Original Title: Lorebuilders and 『Breakers: The Creators and Destroyers of Communities
Original Author: @DeFiDave22
Original Translation: zhouzhou, BlockBeats
Editor's Note: This article explores the distinction between cultural builders and cultural destroyers. Cultural builders, like Satoshi Nakamoto, promote cultural development through ideas, community participation, and values, ensuring the continuity of culture; while cultural destroyers, like SBF, pursue personal interests, exploiting culture for profit, ultimately undermining the foundations of the community and culture. The article emphasizes that the culture of a community is not shaped by a single event or individual, but through the collective efforts and preservation of everyone. The power of culture comes from the defense and transmission of its values, rather than selfish manipulation and exploitation.
The following is the original content (reorganized for better readability):
Lore is a shared story, symbolic system, and collective memory of a community that tightly binds its members together. It cannot be bought; for Lore to endure, the community must deeply engage and drive its evolution. The most influential Lore is an open invitation to the community, allowing everyone to participate in shaping its mission and destiny. Those who quietly nurture this Lore behind the scenes are the Lore builders.
Their motivations vary: some are "just for fun," while others are driven by a strong inner mission. Regardless of the reason, all Lore builders share one commonality—they build not just for themselves, but for something greater than themselves.
At the same time, there exists a completely opposite group: Lore breakers. They are self-driven individuals who view Lore as a resource to extract energy from, rather than a cause worth contributing to. On the surface, they may appear similar to Lore builders, even exhibiting similar behaviors, but over time, their true motivations will reveal themselves. Lore breakers do not see themselves as part of the story; instead, they consider themselves the center of the entire narrative—once personal interests are at stake, they will betray Lore without hesitation.
As the concept of "Lore building" is still relatively new, we must remain vigilant and clearly delineate the boundaries between Lore builders and destroyers. It is precisely to establish this discernment that this article was written. When this line is crossed, it becomes easier to identify who is building and who is consuming.
Among all the characteristics of these opposing forces, the most important to remember is that successful Lore builders are guardians of cultural memory, shaping a lasting collective identity; while Lore breakers act like parasites, only seeing immediate desires, continuously draining the vitality from Lore until it is exhausted.
What is a Lore Builder
Lore builders are individuals who listen, practice, and collaboratively extend mythic narratives with the community. As I mentioned in my previous article, Lore builders "can identify emerging ideas, understand their historical context, perceive collective emotions, and weave all of this into a coherent and engaging narrative." They are the prophets of Lore. Excellent Lore builders do not impose directions; they listen, guard, and remain sensitive and responsive to the natural evolution of Lore.
It is worth emphasizing that Lore builders are often not the loudest or most conspicuous person in the room. Their speech and actions are intentional, and many times they are the ones working quietly behind the scenes—when everyone else has moved on, it is they who keep that flame alive. While their specific words and actions may differ, they all share a core characteristic: they are rooted in the values they believe in and uphold.
Lore builders possess a natural sensitivity and intuition. They understand the historical context of the Lore they are building, recognizing what past forces have endowed it with meaning and power in the present. They can sense the emotions and atmosphere of those around them, judging the next steps and discerning what actions can truly resonate with the community.
Lore builders have an instinctive grasp of the "mythic sense," able to identify profound moments and actions—whether grand or small—and amplify and disseminate them at the right time. Ultimately, the perceptiveness of Lore builders stems from a vision for the future; they view Lore as a living story that continues to evolve, slowly unfolding over the course of time.
Lore builders are inherently selfless, possessing a high sense of integrity. They set aside their egos and serve the community and Lore itself in a humble guardian role, rather than using Lore as a tool for self-service. They understand that Lore is a collective creation, shaped by many, and continuously evolves within a larger narrative and emotional tide. They know that actions speak louder than words; being well-known is not important; they let their contributions speak for themselves.
Lore builders take initiative. They act without needing others to direct them and feel a sense of responsibility for advancing the development of Lore. This "proactivity" can manifest in various forms: symbolically (such as creating memes, shaping iconic symbols), narratively (writing content, "canonizing" specific events, creating characters), ideologically (publicly taking a stance, establishing values), or ceremonially (hosting events, forming habits, repeating certain actions).
Excellent Lore builders are very clear about when to step forward and when to wait for the right moment. Proactivity does not mean forcing the development of Lore; rather, it means stepping up at the appropriate time. Each proactive move increases and expands the "density" of Lore.
Lore builders also possess patience and resilience; they understand that the formation and rooting of Lore takes time, and it must resonate deeply within the hearts and collective memory of the community. All truly powerful Lore is gradually formed through shared experiences—whether laughter, struggle, or victory. There is no shortcut to building Lore; it is not an overnight process. It must be constructed brick by brick, drop by drop, accumulated through concrete actions.
Given enough time, a spiritual fortress capable of withstanding various external shocks will eventually take shape.
Ultimately, regardless of what they do or how they act, Lore builders always see themselves as part of Lore—like a note in a symphony or a thread in a mythic tapestry, seemingly insignificant on its own, yet indispensable to the overall form.
Satoshi Nakamoto: The Archetype of a Lore Builder
Satoshi Nakamoto is not only the founder of Bitcoin; he has also set a standard for all subsequent Lore builders. No matter how technically impressive Bitcoin is, it could not have survived to this day without a Lore that attracts steadfast believers.
Satoshi understood the historical context that birthed Bitcoin. He recognized the significance of the 1990s "cypherpunk movement"—the ideological foundation of Bitcoin. This movement sowed the seeds of "fighting for freedom through code," emphasizing that cryptographic technology is a tool for achieving individual and collective sovereignty. During that era, projects like b-money and Bit Gold laid the theoretical groundwork for the concept of digital currency, but it was not until the "double-spending problem" was solved that digital currency became truly viable on computational and economic levels.
Satoshi integrated these advancements in cryptography and distributed systems while remaining true to the spirit and ideals of the cypherpunk movement, ultimately crafting a trustless, self-operating digital value transfer protocol. The final piece he needed was a suitable catalyst.
Then, the 2008 financial crisis erupted. Governments chose to bail out financial giants while abandoning ordinary citizens, printing money through quantitative easing policies. These actions sparked widespread disillusionment and distorted incentives—profits were privatized while losses were borne by society as a whole. The systemic failure of the financial system and the public's erosion of trust in mainstream institutions created an ideal historical window for Satoshi to release the Bitcoin white paper on Halloween 2008.
Satoshi's vision was very clear: to create a peer-to-peer, decentralized system that would replace state-controlled currency. No longer relying on banks, governments, or intermediaries, transactions would occur solely between individuals, secured by cryptographic trust mechanisms. There would be no central server or any individual who could be held accountable, only an open-source network that transcends borders, allowing anyone to participate.
This participation was not limited to running full nodes or contributing code; it also included actively engaging in the community and social aspects of Bitcoin. For instance, the Bitcoin forum "Bitcoin Talk" served as Satoshi's base—he not only shared his thoughts and logic there but also guided and nurtured a community that would collectively establish cultural norms and refine the core principles of Bitcoin.
On this forum, the philosophical ideas Satoshi advocated and the community's responses to these ideas were as significant as the code he wrote.
For example, the total supply of Bitcoin is rigidly capped at 21 million, a mechanism deeply embedded in the cultural consciousness of "scarcity," fundamentally protecting the community from the inflationary tyranny of fiat currency—this overprinting has never received genuine public consent. Additionally, principles such as "decentralization," "sovereignty," "permissionlessness," "neutrality," "anti-fragility," and "pragmatism" were established in Bitcoin's early culture, laying the groundwork for its future development.
Satoshi held himself to the highest standards, becoming a model for others to emulate. He remained anonymous, never seeking personal attention. The often-quoted slogan "We are all Bitcoin" is no coincidence—it reflects Satoshi's original intention: to allow everyone to participate in the development of Bitcoin, as Bitcoin was destined from the start to transcend any individual. The moment he handed Bitcoin over to the community was also the moment a new generation of Lore builders was born, who would continue to propel Bitcoin into the future.
And the one million Bitcoins in Satoshi's wallet that remain untouched to this day serve as his most powerful declaration. Although these Bitcoins are now worth billions of dollars, for him, their value is irrelevant—they are measured against a fiat system he sought to create an "escape hatch" from, a meaning that has been subverted. If these Bitcoins were ever sold, it would completely betray everything Satoshi represents and destroy the spiritual foundation of Bitcoin—turning him from a Lore builder into a Lore breaker.
Since Satoshi vanished from the history of Bitcoin and society, he has become a mythic figure for millions around the world, guiding everyone by his actions, and ultimately, he has become the best example for all subsequent Lore builders.
Lore Breakers and Their Consequences
Lore breakers are those who extract and distort Lore for personal gain, manipulating the communities they participate in to achieve this goal.
They are false prophets, presenting themselves as saviors, almost mythically, only to fall from grace in a biblical manner. Time and again, individuals in the cryptocurrency space have shown that they are susceptible to the temptations of Lore breakers.
Human beings are inherently inclined to seek saviors; everyone is looking for someone worth following, and this tendency is often exploited. If we are to continue growing and developing as an industry, we must remain vigilant, identify Lore breakers, and bravely expose them.
Lore breakers are typically self-driven, placing themselves first. Their motivation is personal glory, with their primary concern being how others perceive them. Their mindset is "mine" rather than "ours," and their language is often self-referential. For example, they might say, "Look at me, I am a visionary," instead of "Look at what we are building together."
Lore breakers are inherently short-term opportunists and toxic mercenaries. They only engage with the story when it benefits them, and once a better opportunity arises, they will quickly betray that story. Lore breakers lack steadfast beliefs or positions; to please the masses, they will say anything. Rather than building myths, they exploit them, distorting Lore and ultimately serving their personal interests.
Lore breakers appear polished and inauthentic. Their language is robotic, sounding hollow and superficial, rather than providing anything substantive. They overly optimize metrics and dramatic effects while neglecting the substantive content and the natural evolution of Lore.
Ultimately, Lore breakers attempt to extract benefits from the myth as quickly as possible, leading the community into ruin and chaos. In contrast, Lore builders continuously push the evolution of the myth over long periods, allowing patient community members to rise together and move forward hand in hand.
SBF: The Ultimate Lore Breaker
In recent memory, one of the most notorious Lore breakers is Sam Bankman-Fried (SBF). From the perspective of Lore building, he did many things right while establishing Lore for himself and FTX/Alameda.
He came from a prominent background, with MIT and Jane Street, initially entering the crypto space through Bitcoin arbitrage in Asia. He crafted an image of a disheveled genius founder, sleeping on beanbags and living simply, but all of this was a carefully designed facade.
SBF's philosophy of "effective altruism" emphasized doing the most good by any means, placing him and his actions on a moral high ground. Those who followed him and the Lore he established often encountered a plethora of copy-pasted content and iconic events he was involved in, whether it was his "saving" Sushiswap from Chef Nomi's control or his claim that "he was willing to buy all SOL at $3," just to name a few.
SBF consolidated external recognition, raising hundreds of millions for FTX from venture capital firms like SoftBank, Sequoia Capital, Paradigm, Temasek, and Blackstone, establishing himself as a legitimate voice of authority. He met with regulators, testified before Congress, and positioned himself as the "acceptable face" of cryptocurrency. Crypto Twitter was enchanted by this myth, with accounts like Autism Capital beautifying his image and efforts over the years.
However, the signs of Lore destruction had long been evident. First, SBF rebuilt the system that Bitcoin and cryptocurrency were supposed to disrupt, replacing it with a cult of personality centered around himself. Ironically, he formed close relationships with the institutions that Satoshi sought to escape, but whether out of attraction to his charisma or because it served their interests, many chose to overlook this. SBF's dealings and structures between Alameda and FTX were highly opaque, with the two essentially being the same entity.
From the arena in Miami to plastering his face on billboards in San Francisco, claiming he "joined cryptocurrency to do global good," SBF mimicked legitimacy while undermining the foundational myth of cryptocurrency. He cloaked himself in the language of altruism, decentralization, and ethics as a guise to further his personal and political goals.
As a Lore breaker, SBF viewed cryptocurrency as an industry from which to extract benefits, rather than a space worth building. He exploited this myth to enhance his and his allies' power, and when his empire collapsed in November 2022, leading to FTX's bankruptcy, many were left abandoned and destroyed.
SBF was convicted of multiple crimes and is currently serving a 25-year federal prison sentence, ordered to forfeit over $11 billion in assets for misappropriating FTX customer deposits to support Alameda, purchase real estate, and make political donations. We are fortunate he was caught; had SBF gone further, he could have become a Trojan horse, completely dismantling everything the industry had built.
Conclusion
The life and death of a community are determined by its cultural transmission, and the fate of that cultural transmission lies in the hands of those "cultural builders" who take responsibility and drive its development. Cultural building has always existed; we are just beginning to define it now and distinguish between cultural builders and cultural breakers. Culture is the lifeblood of a community; while cultural builders are the wise ones who give it vitality, cultural breakers are the vampires that drain its essence.
Culture is never neutral; it is always in a state shaped and changed by the community. Without excellent cultural builders to defend this culture, it is easily exploited. The future of any project is not driven by code or funding amounts, but by those who imbue it with myth and shape its culture.
Today, founders are romanticized, much like athletes. But we no longer need more founders raising vast sums of money, nor do we need more venture capital to fund them. What we need are more guardians, weavers, protectors of myth, and humble shepherds who play a role in maintaining cultural transmission and defending it against external forces. To achieve this, you do not need to appear in the most dazzling way; I do not recommend that.
To become a cultural builder, you only need to care and step into your role at the right moment.
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