---
# System prepended metadata

title: Blockchain Commons Statements of Purpose
tags: [website]

---

---
title: Blockchain Commons Statements of Purpose
robots: noindex, nofollow
tags: website
---

## Blockchain Commons Statements of Purpose

> Statements of Purpose: In general, an organizations "statements of purpose" include a vision and mission to provide the overall direction and purpose of the organization, while the values, objectives, and strategy outline the specific goals and actions that the organization will take to achieve its vision and mission. The culture, operations, and team and stakeholders are the key components that enable the organization to implement its strategies and achieve its objectives.

### Vision

The vision of Blockchain Commons community is:

***Reclaim human dignity and authority in the digital world.***

> Vision: A vision statement provides a clear and inspiring picture of what the organization wants to achieve in the future. It should be aspirational and should provide direction and focus for the organization's activities. A good vision statement should be memorable✅, concise✅, and should capture the essence of the organization's purpose✅ and values✅.

### Mission

The members of Blockchain Commons support this vision through our mission to:

**Create an open, interoperable, secure, and compassionate digital infrastructure, to protect and support the human rights and dignity of individuals online.**

> Mission: A mission statement outlines the organization's purpose and the reason it exists. It should be clear✅, concise✅, and should provide a framework for the organization's activities✅.


### Values

**We believe that the digital realm has the potential to greatly impact the human rights and dignity of individuals. In order to protect these rights, we provide them with tools to defend against coercion, financial and data loss, and violations of their autonomy, agency and control. We empower them to freely express themselves, associate with others, pursue their own goals and interests, and live according to their own values and beliefs, while supporting their ability to participate in group decisions that affect their lives. We support the ability of individuals to exercise their human rights without interference from governments or other powerful institutions, and do all of this without fear of reprisal or discrimination.**

(alternative as more readable list)

Our values are to:

* Protect human rights and dignity in the digital realm.
* Provide individuals with tools to defend against coercion, financial and data loss, and  violations of their autonomy, agency and control.
* Empower them to freely express themselves, associate with others, pursue their own goals and interests, and live according to their own values and beliefs.
* Enable individuals' ability to participate in group decisions that affect their own lives.
* Support for the ability of individuals to exercise their human rights without interference from governments or other powerful institutions.
* Do all of this without fear of reprisal or discrimination.

> Values: Values are the principles and beliefs that guide the organization's actions and decisions. They should be aligned with the organization's vision and mission✅, and should be reflected in the organization's culture and behavior✅. A good set of values should be concise✅, compelling✅, and should be shared by all members of the organization✅.

### Objectives

The core objectives of Blockchain Commons are:

* Identify problems and assess needs for an open, interoperable, secure, and compassionate decentralized systems.
* Faciliate developer communities to collaborate together to design and build interoperable tools and infrastructure.
* Advocate for principles, policies, laws and regulation that enable compassionate and decentralized approaches to digital assets and identity.
* Increase understanding and awareness of these through education and outreach programs.

In more detail:

* To create a specific shared intellectual commons dedicated to the realization of open, interoperable, secure, and compassionate decentralized systems, by reaching out to user and developer communities to identify problems and assess needs in current decentralized blockchain systems and focusing on solutions with an open architecture.

* To research, define, faciliate, and evangelize an interoperable architecture for secure decentralized systems that supports independence, privacy, resilience, and openness and encourages responsible key management. This includes designing, building, and maintaining decentralized tools infrastructure for digital assets and digital identity.

* To define and advocate a new techno-social contract of decentralized infrastructure based on human dignity, respect for the individual, and mutual benefit for all contributors. This includes working with regulators and legislators to support policies and regulations that enable compassionate decentralized approaches to cryptographic assets and digital identity.

* To increase the demand for, and population of, people who understand the effective development and use of secure decentralized systems. This includes striving to grow the decentralized developer community through educational courses and outreach programs.

> Objectives: Objectives are the specific goals and targets that the organization aims to achieve in order to fulfill its mission. They should be aligned with the organization's vision and mission✅, and should be **specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART)**❌. A good set of objectives should provide a clear framework for the organization's activities and should be regularly reviewed and updated.


### Strategy

> Strategy: A strategy is the overall plan for how the organization will achieve its objectives and fulfill its mission. It should be based on a thorough understanding of the organization's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT analysis), and should outline the key actions and decisions that the organization will take in order to succeed. A good strategy should be flexible, adaptable, and should be regularly reviewed and updated in response to changing circumstances.

❌

> Based on the stated objectives, it appears that the strategy of Blockchain Commons may involve collaborating with developer communities to design and build decentralized architectures and tools, advocating for principles and policies that support decentralized approaches to digital assets and identity, and increasing understanding and awareness of secure decentralized systems through education and outreach programs.

### Culture

Culture: Culture is the shared beliefs, values, and practices that shape the organization's behavior and interactions with others. It is the collective personality of the organization, and it is influenced by a range of factors, including the organization's history, values, leadership, and the behavior of its members. A good organizational culture should be positive, inclusive, and should support the organization's vision and mission.

❌

> Based on the stated values and mission, it appears that the culture of Blockchain Commons may prioritize human rights and dignity, collaboration, and the creation of open, interoperable, and secure digital infrastructure. It may also value the principles of independence, privacy, resilience, and openness in decentralized systems, and advocate for responsible key management and a techno-social contract based on human dignity and mutual benefit.

### Operations

> Operations: Operations are the day-to-day activities and processes that the organization carries out in order to fulfill its mission and achieve its objectives. They include everything from the production of goods and services to the delivery of those goods and services to customers. A good operational system should be efficient, effective, and should be regularly reviewed and improved to ensure that it is meeting the needs of the organization and its stakeholders.

❌

> Based on the stated objectives, it appears that Blockchain Commons may operate by reaching out to user and developer communities to identify problems and assess needs in current decentralized blockchain systems, researching and defining an interoperable architecture for secure decentralized systems, advocating for policies that enable decentralized approaches to cryptographic assets and digital identity, and increasing understanding and awareness of secure decentralized systems through educational programs and outreach efforts. This may involve designing, building, and maintaining decentralized architectures and tools, as well as collaborating with regulators and legislators to support policies that align with the organization's vision and mission.

### Team:

> Team: The team refers to the organization's staff and other key personnel, as well as the roles and responsibilities of each individual within the organization. A good team should be composed of individuals with the right skills, experience, and attitudes to support the organization's vision and mission. The team should be well-organized and should have clear lines of communication and accountability.

Christopher Allen is the Founder and Executive Director of Blockchain Commons. He is a technologist and entrepreneur with a focus on internet and blockchain security, digital identity, collaboration, and trust. He is a pioneer in internet security and co-author of the IETF TLS internet standard, which is at the heart of secure commerce on the web. Christopher is also involved in efforts at the W3C towards Verifiable Credentials and Decentralized Identifiers as international standards, and is a digital civil-liberty and human-rights privacy advisor.

Wolf McNally is the Lead Researcher at Blockchain Commons. He is a software engineer with a background in mathematics, cryptography, and computer science. In his role at Blockchain Commons, Wolf is responsible for researching and defining interoperable architectures for secure decentralized systems.

Shannon Appelcline is a long-term technical writer and editor with experience working for hardware and software companies, and has written security documents for a NASA project. In recent years, Shannon has specialized in blockchain, Bitcoin, and other decentralized technologies. He has co-authored books on these subjects and has written technical documentation for blockchain-focused companies such as Bitmark, Blockstream, and Transparent Financial Systems. In addition, he is the editor-in-chief for Rebooting the Web of Trust and has written other documentation for Blockchain Commons. 

### Stakeholders

> Stakeholders: Stakeholders are the various groups and individuals who have an interest in or are affected by the organization, including shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers, and the wider community. A good stakeholder management strategy should take into account the needs and expectations of all stakeholders, and should aim to balance their interests and create mutually beneficial relationships.

❌

> Based on the stated vision and mission, it is likely that the stakeholders of Blockchain Commons may include individuals who are interested in protecting their human rights and dignity in the digital realm, developers and user communities who are working on decentralized blockchain systems, regulators and legislators who are involved in shaping policies related to digital assets and identity, and organizations and individuals who are interested in promoting secure and interoperable decentralized systems. Additionally, the broader community of individuals and organizations who may benefit from the work of Blockchain Commons may also be considered stakeholders.
>
> It is important for an organization to state its stakeholders because they play a crucial role in its success and sustainability. The organization's vision, mission, values, objectives, strategy, culture, operations, and people should all be aligned with the interests and needs of its stakeholders. This means that the organization should consider the impact of its actions on its stakeholders, and strive to create value for them in a responsible and ethical manner.
> 
> In addition, the organization should engage with its stakeholders, listen to their perspectives, and involve them in decision-making processes. This can help to build trust and collaboration, and can ensure that the organization is accountable and responsive to the needs and expectations of its stakeholders.
> 
> Overall, the inclusion of stakeholders in an organization's statements is important because it reflects the organization's commitment to creating value for all of its stakeholders, and to operating in a transparent, accountable, and sustainable manner.

