About us
Uncommons is a garden for researchers exploring decentralized thought movements and techno-social philosophy. Originally known as the GreenPill Chinese Community, it serves as a public space within the blockchain world where builders of public goods converge to exchange crypto-humanistic ideas.
Structurally, Uncommons operates as a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) that prioritizes member welfare over institutional preservation. It embodies transparency (with an open treasury), egalitarian contribution mechanisms, permissionless participation, and gender inclusivity. In this decentralized community, no single individual "manages" others. Instead, every member can engage in community building by submitting proposals and receiving both financial and operational support from the collective.
The concept of the Public Sphere, originating from the German term 'Öffentlichkeit', embodies notions of openness and transparency. While not originally coined by Jürgen Habermas, his seminal work "The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere" is regarded as the authoritative genesis of Public Sphere theory, embedding it as a universal concept in European political discourse. In his work, Habermas equates the public sphere with publicness, defining it as "a realm in our social life where public opinion can be formed." He further describes it as "a domain where individuals, assembled into a public body, challenge the controlled public realm exerted by public authorities, creating a space for discourse on issues like commodity exchange and social labor, which are fundamentally private but retain a public character."
Since its establishment in 2022, our journey has evolved from "GreenPill CN" to "Uncommons." Starting from dozens of cities in mainland China, we've expanded to create a distributed archipelago spanning Istanbul, Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Taiwan, Tokyo, Lisbon, Brussels, Georgia, and Buenos Aires – an aerial enclave interwoven by what we call the "Web of Care" that connects us across the globe.
The precursor to Uncommons, GreenPill Chinese Community, emerged organically from Web3 enthusiasts, social builders, futurists, and digital citizens inspired by GreenPill philosophy. This community not only delved into interdisciplinary knowledge domains including blockchain, cryptoeconomics, sociological theory, and game theory, but actively pursued innovative public goods governance models through cross-organizational collaboration. We implemented GreenPill's regenerative economics principles and addressed coordination failures. While the "GreenPill CN" identity remains a vital historical cornerstone of Uncommons (evidenced by our translation of over twenty GreenPill podcast episodes and curated seminars), "Uncommons" now represents our forward-looking vision.
Our initiatives have funded philosophical and economic research on public goods, censorship-resistant blockchain studies, and historical investigations into utopian visions during China's May Fourth Movement era. Supported by the Ethereum Foundation and GCC, we spearheaded the Chinese-language edition of Summer of Protocols – awarding over $100,000 in grants that empowered twelve Sinophone creators and artists to produce groundbreaking works, later compiled into an anthology. From our "DeSci (Decentralized Science) Working Group" to the twenty-city "Cypherpunk Reading Club" network, our offline and online events transcend knowledge dissemination. They manifest our shared conviction that "cryptography enables achievable freedom" – allowing us to glimpse liberated futures through each other's endeavors.
We believe technology will ultimately transform humanity's aesthetic self-perception.
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