Crypto Natives: Exploring the Definition and Connotation of Cryptography Natives

In the Web3 era, the term Crypto Natives appears frequently, but its exact meaning is rarely explored in depth. This article attempts to provide a more precise definition of this concept from the perspectives of etymology, context, and practical application.

Background: Limited Attempts at Definition

Currently, Crypto Natives have not been included in mainstream dictionaries or encyclopedias. In online discussions, some preliminary definitions have been proposed:

Crypto native may refer to individuals who purchased cryptocurrencies before owning traditional assets, or those who are very familiar with cryptocurrencies and related platforms and use them in their daily lives.

In the business field, Crypto native may refer to decentralized protocols that can achieve current centralized financial functions, or businesses whose main functions involve cryptocurrencies.

Although these definitions limit the association between Crypto Natives and cryptocurrencies, they remain vague and make it difficult to clarify their boundaries. Some believe that Crypto Natives represent a common belief, but in reality, there are constant disputes within the cryptocurrency community, making it hard to say that there is a universally accepted belief.

Etymology Analysis: Simple Yet Richly Meaningful Compound Words

Crypto Native is a combination of the words Crypto and Native, and understanding its meaning requires clarifying the connotations of these two words separately.

Crypto: the synonym of Cryptography

Crypto originally referred to Cryptography, an important branch of mathematics and computer science. However, with the rise of cryptocurrencies, the term has been widely used as an abbreviation for cryptocurrency, causing dissatisfaction among cryptographers. Despite calls for "Crypto means cryptography", it seems difficult to reverse this trend.

In this article, we insist that Crypto should refer to Cryptography, rather than cryptocurrency. It is worth noting that Cryptography is not limited to encryption; it also encompasses various aspects such as ensuring data integrity, verifiability, and non-repudiation.

Native: A sense of belonging beyond geography

The term "Native" has multiple meanings. Here, we focus on its connotation of "understanding or accepting a certain habit and considering it as part of life." This concept is similar to Digital Native(, emphasizing deep adaptation and immersion in a certain technology or environment.

Thought Experiment: Who is Crypto Native?

To better define the scope of Crypto Native, we can envision a series of scenarios:

• Literary figures using classical Cryptography
• Cryptography operator during World War II
• Ordinary users who insist on using PGP encrypted emails
• Investors holding cryptocurrencies only through centralized exchanges
• Holders with hardware wallets who have never conducted transactions
• Beginners buying cryptocurrency for speculative purposes
• Hackers attacking exchanges to steal cryptocurrency
• Ordinary people who inherit cryptocurrency but quickly exchange it for fiat currency.
• Employees working at cryptocurrency companies but immediately converting their salaries to fiat currency.

These examples cover various situations related to Cryptography and cryptocurrency, helping us to think about the essential characteristics of Crypto Native.

Definition of Crypto Natives

Based on the above analysis, we can provide a definition for Crypto Natives:

Crypto Natives refer to a group of people who are proficient in using tools or systems that employ Cryptography algorithms and protocols to actively protect the confidentiality, integrity, verifiability, and non-repudiation of data.

This definition emphasizes the following points:

1. Crypto Natives is about human behavior, unrelated to social factors such as age, gender, etc.
2. The focus is on the application of Cryptography-related technologies.
3. The use must be active and conscious, not passive.
4. The purpose of use is to protect various characteristics of data.

This definition includes users of traditional Cryptography tools as well as deep participants in cryptocurrency, but excludes cryptocurrency investors who are purely motivated by speculation.

Conclusion

The concept of Crypto Natives should return to the essence of Cryptography, focusing on the value it brings to humanity. With the widespread application of Cryptography technology, more and more people will become Crypto Natives. This is not just a technological trend, but represents a pursuit of privacy, security, and autonomy.

As predicted by the 1993 "Crypto Anarchist Manifesto": "Cryptography will spread globally unstoppable, and anonymous trading systems will emerge!" In this process, Crypto Natives will play a key role in driving the realization of this vision.