The Responsibility of Empowerment
In the empowering Web3 world, you must take your destiny into your own hands
This is the future of gaming, where ownership is real and the physicality of an object, idea, or asset is less important than what it represents.
At Gala Games, we empower people to own their gameplay by introducing them to Web3 tech. The idea that thanks to cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens, players can truly own their gaming assets is so revolutionary that it’s catching all over the world like wildfire. Vast amounts of money are already flowing through Web3 ecosystems, and this is just the beginning. Still, many newcomers underestimate the risks of the space, as well as the enhanced security that true responsibility for one’s assets demands.
Welcome to the Guardian Papers
From our staunch desire to both protect and empower members of our beloved community, the Guardian Papers were born. Through this series of articles on the responsibility of ownership, security guidelines and red flags, we hope to empower our community in a different way: Education.
We want each of you to have the tools to effectively avoid the scams and thieves that can unfortunately be easily found lurking in the corners of the Web3 world. We utilize blockchain systems for their unmatched security potential, but there will always be people who make it their life’s work to prey on the under informed, the gullible, or worst of all, the generous.
Understanding and staying ahead of the bad actors is an important part of doing your own research, a phrase you’ll hear over and over in the crypto world. In this world, your money is no safer than your wallet, your wallet is as safe as your private keys, and your private keys are nothing short of sacred to you. Lose your firm, secure grasp on any of these things, and your assets may be as good as gone. This is decentralization. There is no big bank ready to protect you and replace funds that were taken fraudulently. It’s all on you. The power is with the players.
Almost anyone can enjoy all the empowerment of the Web3 space as long as they also understand and accept the responsibilities.
Trust Yourself
Do not let these warnings make you afraid, but rise to the challenge of practicing basic security measures to keep your money and assets safe. You are more capable of protecting yourself than any corporate bank, but you will have to spend some time and energy taking this power and responsibility into your own hands.
Through the years we have been encouraged to focus on simplicity and trust in the financial world. The convenience of cash transfer apps, debit cards and anytime/anywhere banking have taught us that money can move quickly and smoothly behind the scenes with little effort on our part. While highly convenient, it is easy to forget that this system requires trust of countless entities who are essentially strangers to you. With Web3 tech, we are rapidly moving toward eliminating the need for financial trust. When trust is removed from the equation, a scammer’s power of its victims is vastly reduced.
Owning crypto may not require you to trust a bank, but you must always trust yourself. You must trust yourself to never lose your seed or recovery phrase. You must trust yourself to take careful and deliberate actions when trading, transferring, purchasing, staking, or bidding. You must trust yourself to follow the income tax laws of your country, realizing that while only you can hold yourself responsible, others will certainly hold you accountable.
Be a Watchdog
We understand that there will always be those who take advantage of anything with value. Become vigilant. Pay attention to the actions of those around you. Help your early adopter peers by watching their backs. These impersonators, imposters, fishers, and frauds will always pollute the most successful blockchain communities, but their power will be continually reduced as Web3 evolves toward its true potential. There is a constant battle between those here to earn rewards in the correct, established ways and those here to earn by taking from others.
Reacting to Dishonesty
Try not to harshly judge the ones who would steal from you. It is impossible to know enough about their lives and situations to pass such judgment. Instead, accept their existence as a reality of this industry and do everything in your power to keep yourself and those you care about from being tricked.
The most successful movers in the Web3 space are those who can always persevere, even in the face of risks and scams.
Instead of ganging up on swindlers in a way that gives them more of our attention than they deserve, focus on protecting yourself and your fellow community members through open communication. If you can master this practice, frustrations over which you have no control will roll easily off your back, and every attempted trick will turn into a positive learning experience. That’s making sweet and delicious lemonade out of some bitter lemons.
Scammers and cheaters are not going anywhere, but the more players we can empower throughout the world, the fewer people will be driven to these types of malicious activities. Doesn’t it feel good to be part of the solution for deception?
Within the Gala Games team, there are ongoing and passionate conversations about the importance of building a road for our growing community that is always safer and straighter than the one before.
Upcoming Papers
This article is merely an introduction to the Guardian Papers series, which will be published over the coming weeks and months to ensure the information is available to all newcomers to the Gala Games community. Each relatively short article will have the intention of raising awareness to a specific security concern, but these articles are far from the whole story. We encourage every one of you to always stay vigilant and informed, and please, do your own research.
We’ll even have an issue about what it means to “do your own research.” Stay tuned.
Our mission of player empowerment is becoming a reality, and as any friendly neighborhood Gala Games community moderator would tell you, with great power comes great responsibility.
