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There is now a blockchain-based religion

Despite founding a blockchain-based religion, Matt Liston maintains that he is not a ‘Cryptprophet’

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Matt Liston, the founder of a blockchain-based religion. Liston has refuted the claim that he is a Cryptprophet. Photo: YouTube

By Zoë Bernard

Matt Liston would like to publicly refute the claim that he is a “Cryptprophet.” He’d also like to clarify that he is not the “Cryptsiah” or the “CryptChrist.” (“I grew up Jewish,” he points out.)

Despite being the originator of what may be the first blockchain-based religion, Liston is but a humble developer, and doesn’t suggest to possess divine knowledge. 

“It makes me uncomfortable to think about that,” says Liston. “It seems inappropriate. If I’m claiming to start a religion, it’s probably disingenuous if I claimed not to be a figure within the religion. But I don’t like the sound of that.”

Liston, who left his position as CEO of the blockchain project Augur amid a cloud of controversy, has spent the afternoon in Bodega Bay developing what he describes as “mechanisms for worship” for his new religious order, called 0xΩ (Liston pronounces this as “Zero Ex Omega”). The religion, which he unveiled along with artist Avery Singer at New York’s New Museum last month, will present both a blockchain system for pre-established religions, and a new faith-based order of its own.

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