# @vgr: Protocols as skeletal horror vs AI's flesh horror - crypto's dual nature

Source: https://farcaster.xyz/vgr/0x6c4dc8b1
Kiwi News: https://news.kiwistand.com/stories/vgr-Protocols-as-skeletal-horror-vs-AIs-flesh-horror-cryptos-dual-nature?index=0x6889be31a00d3a2968cd69555418617fedd0e96437ed708466a585adfb1275ae4ad4a478
Submitted by misha on 2025-07-30 UTC, 6 upvotes, 6 comments

## Summary

Vitalik Buterin's (no, the author is @vgr, Vitalik Buterin is not named in the text) — correction: the text is a short social media post by @vgr, and it argues that crypto protocols should be framed as a skeletal horror, the counterpart to AI's flesh horror. It contrasts protocols' fixed shapes, barriers and deterministic constraint with AI's shape-shifting, ooze-like nature. The post says normies find crypto cringe and that crypto people wrongly try to make it "Fun," and it suggests the real task is to make crypto a dual horror to AI, characterized by mindless, crystalline determinism and a sharp split between absolute freedom and absolute constraint.

## Article

Protocols are some sort of un-shoggoth. Skeletal horror as opposed to flesh horror. Protean shape-shifting vs. fixed shapes. Ooze vs barriers.

Normies think crypto is cringe. Crypto people are misguidedly trying to make crypto “Fun” ™.

The real trick will be to make crypto a dual kind of horror to AI. Skeletal horror. “I’m the one who knocks” terror.

Absolutely mindless, crystalline commitment/determinism. Sharp separation between absolute freedom and absolute constraint.

Horror always comes in dualistic pairs: Vampire vs zombies. Ghosts vs monsters. Whale vs squid. Ethereal green clinical anal-probe alien vs insectoid bites-head-off alien.

## Comments

**tim**: lol I have no idea what any of that means

**rvolz.eth**: I suppose it's related to his study of oozification in tech and AI, so tech horror as a pair:
- AI/ooze/shoggoth: Fluid, playful, and potentially uncontrollable
- Protocols/skeleton: Rigid, deterministic,  potentially oppressive

AI is fun (when playful), crypto people try and fail to make protocols fun? ("Protocol can also be a selling point")

**misha**: Yes, but I think he means crypto people try to make something ‘fun’ - fluid that is actually meant to be rigid. (in order to sell it to the normies either subconsciously or not, why it’s misguided). Instead crypto should be the skeleton for the AI flesh (that what is potentially uncontrollable made deterministic). The dual horror the idea that crypto can be a means to, as well as a boundary. The one who knocks. 

Anyway that’s what I make of it ;) 

**tim**: Idk I get the impression that AI and its propaganda is often very rigid because have you ever tried to argue against an LLM a position that is political consensus but potentially still wrong. It's just so annoying how it rigidly brings you back to whatever is in the model weights. At the same time, for Kiwi News at least, I've discovered that while true, protocols are like skeletons, the muscles make those move quite flexibly. I mean did you know that the Kiwi News protocol is still largely the same as it was two years ago, but the client's usability has massively improved. 

Anyways, I do agree that we're trying to make something fun that is otherwise rather boring.

I didn't get the dual horror idea. Is there more to read on this maybe?

**macbudkowski.eth**: > "lol I have no idea what any of that means"

this is my impression about 50% of the time when i read vgr's posts

**tim**: https://farcaster.xyz/vgr/0x20e48f53 commented