A Grassroots Movement That Became the Heart of Tezos
From the monumental rise of NFTs in 2021, one of the most diverse, creative, and passionate communities I’ve ever seen began to take shape. Enabled by the accessibility and affordability of the Tezos blockchain, the vision of a truly decentralized, peer-to-peer network flourished, specifically around art. This cultivated a strong art-focused community on Tezos that continues to expand and even dominate the on-chain usage of Tezos today.
Innovation and the pursuit of creative freedom are part of what makes blockchains like Tezos so important. That’s why I believe Tezos will always be a home for digital art that enables creativity. Any expansions to the underlying technology will honor but also ensure a sustainable path forward for all people who want to build and explore the possibilities of a truly decentralized digital commonwealth.
A sustainable path for the growth of the Tezos ecosystem cannot be built with art alone, but can and should be complimented with it. The developments proposed in the Tezos X roadmap are highly technical and offer foresight. Ideas from core developers should not be seen as threats to anyone currently enjoying Tezos, but as opportunities to strengthen the foundation of Tezos as a whole.
As conversations around the Tezos X roadmap continue, it’s natural for questions and concerns to arise, especially from those who have helped shape the cultural identity of Tezos through art. Rather than viewing these technical evolutions as a divergence, it’s worth exploring how they can preserve, amplify, and future-proof the values that have nurtured the arts so far. Let’s take a closer look at why the art is still at the heart of it all and how the unique vision of Tezos X can ensure it stays that way.
Decentralization Can Feel Like Fragmentation
One of the most beautiful and confusing aspects of the Tezos art community is that it mirrors the decentralized architecture of the chain itself. Just as bakers scattered across the globe validate blocks and keep the network alive, the culture on Tezos has evolved in similarly distributed ways. Communities are formed naturally, often independently, each driven by shared values, aesthetics, or goals. Music collectives, artists, curators, collectors, and hybrid builder-artist-technologists are all growing in parallel, sometimes unaware of one another’s contributions to the ecosystem.
A decentralized network can give the illusion of fragmentation, but it’s a sign of strength. A monolithic culture can be brittle, but a decentralized one is resilient, adaptive, and full of potential. On Tezos, there are many communities and voices. The absence of a central or singular voice is not a flaw, it’s part of what allowed so many distinct subcultures to take root and thrive.
Art is the Heart, Technology is the Brain
Just like the underlying protocol, the communities of Tezos continue to expand, evolve, and refine over time. The magic lies in the permissionless nature of Tezos, with the possibility that anyone, anywhere, can contribute to the ongoing story. When we begin to resist change in favor of protecting the current culture, we risk stagnation. We risk becoming a cult. When we let fear of innovation override our pioneering spirit, we lose sight of what makes this place special. Any proposal to make the ecosystem more capable of real-world utility should be met with thoughtful curiosity. That’s the mindset Tezos was built on, and what enabled the art movement to form.
It’s time to pause and remember what we are here for. We need to zoom out and embrace the bigger picture. The art movement on Tezos Layer 1 has become the beating heart of the network, but that heart needs to keep pumping blood to the brain (core development) no matter where it leads the body (Ecosystem). Right now, the brain of Tezos is in the middle of navigating uncharted territory, and it needs the heART more than ever.
Zooming Out: What is Tezos X Really About?
Tezos has always upgraded itself without drama. Unlike other blockchains that split their communities through forks, Tezos evolves seamlessly. Every upgrade so far has brought real improvements like faster transactions, lower gas fees, and better tools for artists, without leaving anyone behind. Why would that suddenly change?
Tezos X is the next step in that same journey, making Tezos faster, more flexible, and ready to take on new challenges. Obstacles that no other blockchain has dared to take on. It focuses on improving how everything works together, so the network can scale towards real-world adoption, without losing what makes Layer-1 so powerful.
The Tezos art community is heArt-strong, but most artists, including myself, have to try harder to grasp the technical aspect of what makes this ecosystem function. Now more than ever, we should respect and support those using Tezos for its other use cases and recognize that the art alone won’t be enough. We need to “let them cook.” Because Tezos X is about giving the heart a stronger, more capable body and mind. An ecosystem that flows with purpose into an unknown future. The same upgrade process that supported the early NFT boom is now laying the groundwork for what comes next. And as always, it’s being done with the whole community in mind.
Governance Is Greater Than Trust, Let’s Shape the Future
Many of the core developers who made NFTs on Tezos possible are still building today. Many of the minds behind Tezos X are grounded in the same values that drew artists here in the first place: accessibility, decentralization, and creative freedom. No one needs permission to mint art, and no one needs permission to propose upgrades.
It’s all transparent. Upgrade proposals don’t happen in the shadows. They go through a public governance process. Anyone can read the proposals, ask questions, share concerns, and participate in governance. That’s how we got this far, through collaboration, not conflict.
Questions and debates are healthy. However, there is a line where questions fueled by curiosity are lost to fear-based complaints or manufactured and misinformed drama. Unlike healthy debates, these escalations don’t help the art, the tech, or the community. They only muddy the waters and distract us from the real work that needs to be done.
Tezos X isn’t about leaving people behind. Stop with the FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt). It’s about inviting more people in. It’s about creating a recipe for more FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). If we stay open, curious, and willing to participate, we can help shape a future where artists, developers, builders, and collectors can grow stronger together.
We All Found Our Way Here For Similar Reasons
Change can feel overwhelming, especially when it comes to technical complexity. But no one has to figure it out alone. There are resources, community spaces, and people willing to help explain things, answer questions, or just listen. Whether it’s Tezos Agora, Tezos Commons, Community Telegram and Discord channels, or spaces on X, there are places to turn when things feel unclear. More importantly, there are people to turn to.
This community is made of humans first. Most of us are doing our best. Before posting something that stirs tension, consider direct messaging someone who can help. A private message can go a long way. A kind question can spark a thoughtful conversation. Showing someone you care enough to talk with them instead of talking at them or accusing them of something. That’s how we strengthen the connection we all came here to make.
The art community on Tezos is powerful because of its shared values and giant beating heart. Empathy, resilience, curiosity, and care are unmatched. We can protect that spirit while staying engaged with open hearts and minds. We can continue to be a meaningful force in Web3, but we need to do so in a way that acknowledges all that Web3 can be. Art alone can’t be the only utility, but it will always be a core value to the Tezos Community.
The Tezos Art Community Matters was originally published in Tezos Commons on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.