sex on the blockchain
The subjugation of sex workers fails to recognize how the sex industry has been the catalyst for some of our nation's most significant advancements in technology.
Platforms like OnlyFans inspire a sense of autonomy – distorted by gatekeeping audience analytics.
"But, it's for privacy!"
One acceptable response to this vapid argument ought to be, "privacy for who?"
Perhaps the individuals who feel uncomfortable by the thought of making their personal information available to OnlyFans creators should consider why they want to keep their identity a secret.
Is it the projection of their shame? Or is it because they are the byproduct of a society that stigmatizes the expression, commodification, and consumption of sex?
An alternative consideration to OnlyFans and other centralized platforms– which addresses both the privacy of the creator and the subscriber– is the blockchain.
The blockchain is a limitless global economy backed by a universal transaction ledger. As an open infrastructure, it is constantly awaiting its next change agent. It offers infinite opportunities to reconstruct contemporary social stratifications and dismantle power hierarchies.
One use case of the application of blockchain technology is the non-fungible token (NFT). NFTs are a unique cryptocurrency format –often referenced in crypto culture to encapsulate crypto media like art, collectibles, sports cards, and other ownable digital assets.
As of late, the deployment of NFTs is detonating and dismantling inequitable power structures. Independent EDM DJ 3LAU made history when he sold 33 of the world's first tokenized albums, built in tandem with Origin Protocol, grossing over $11.5 million.
The idea that an independent artist can generate this type of revenue without a label or major brand has been presumed impossible. The record-breaking NFT auction actualized the power blockchain technology holds in influencing and impacting economic, social, and cultural advancement. 3LAU revolutionized the music industry and was subsequently liberated from a system that thrives from systemic and systematic monopolization.
The time to provide these liberating opportunities to sex workers is long overdue.
The patriarchy perpetuates a system built to police and monopolize sex work as an example of institutionalized oppression – making the sex industry arguably the most centralized subculture within pop culture.
The rise of OnlyFans as a multibillion-dollar empire punctuates a significant advancement for the sex industry within the larger framework of cultural discourse, but, lest we forget, that empire remains creator-built and sustained while the scale tips in favor of Big Money corporate control.
When will we not only protect sex workers but recognize their right to grab the same bag that Wall Street sharks pursue every day? In other words: