As we strive to create a successful wallet product, I can’t shake the thought: “would that success be worth celebrating if it came at the cost of our broader vision?” What if we became just another crypto app, chasing trends and compromising on the ideals that made Status unique in the first place?
Status was never meant to be a mere crypto wallet. It was envisioned as a tool for privacy, censorship resistance, and empowerment, something to help people break free from oppressive systems, not bind them more tightly to commercial or governmental control.
If our wallet achieves financial success but sacrifices our core principles, we will have failed. Revenue cannot replace the sense of purpose that comes from building something that genuinely changes lives. Success isn’t just about balance sheets or user numbers; it’s about standing firm in the ideals that inspired this project.
For further considerations exploring the anti-privacy nature of our current approach please see my expanded article.
Wallet - Sacrificing Our Mission at the Altar of Convenience
Our goal must be bigger than riding the crypto wave. It’s not about monetising trends in the so-called "crypto-bro-sphere." Frankly, the idea of pivoting our vision to chase fleeting hype makes me cringe. Status was born out of a noble purpose, to serve as a platform for secure communication and meaningful change. Reducing that mission to "just another wallet" embarrasses me.
So, what sets Status apart? Our unique proposition is clearly stated on our website:
These principles are not just features; they are the foundation of everything we do.
EDIT: At the time of writing this I felt a strong sense urgency to move forward with our mission and felt that whatever was holding us back should by streamlined and sidelined. I am not sure my assumptions were entirely fair, but I’ll leave this section unaltered for the sake of not being a slimy weasel trying to hide something potentially embarrassing.
We can’t afford to wait for the future to validate our choices. If Waku, the protocol underpinning our messaging, cannot meet our needs today, we must pivot. That might mean moving to another protocol that aligns with our goals. The point is not the technology itself but what that technology enables: trust, safety, and action for our users.
If Waku does not scale should Status stall and flounder because of it?
This is why we need to engage actively with movements that align with our mission. Freedom fighters, trade unions, housing collectives—these are the communities Status should support. By embedding ourselves in these causes, we ensure that our tools are designed for real-world impact, not abstract metrics.