The Internet Computer at the Crossroads: Building Pluralism or Power?

Community SNS Project Governance
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WaterNeuron (WTN) is emerging as a transformative mechanism within the Internet Computer (IC) ecosystem—but its role is anything but neutral. It presents the IC community with a profound fork in the road: Will WTN decentralize power or entrench it?

Decentralization is not simply a function of token distribution. It is a deeply systemic outcome influenced by design choices, implementation dynamics, and the socio-economic stratification of stakeholders. The same mechanism that promises openness can become a tool for consolidation if hijacked by whales, insiders, or well-resourced actors who dominate governance flows.

At its best, WTN could be a catalyst for meaningful decentralization. By distributing governance participation and incentivizing broader engagement, it offers a controlled, intentional path toward an open, resilient, and participatory ecosystem. This trajectory could enhance transparency, increase systemic trust, and ensure that the IC evolves through collective agency.

But at its worst, WTN could serve as an instrument of consolidation. If designed or implemented without safeguards, it risks becoming dominated by insiders or whales—those with disproportionate capital or early access—who could co-opt its governance to serve narrow interests. In this future, the appearance of decentralization masks a deeper centralization of control.

This is not a hypothetical threat; it is a pattern observed across numerous decentralized systems. The crucial difference lies in intentionality and foresight.

These are not hypothetical scenarios—they are the dual realities encoded into WTN’s very design potential. What matters now is recognizing this double role and choosing the path ahead with intention and foresight.

The consequences of this choice are significant:

If WTN empowers decentralization:

  • Governance becomes more inclusive and secure
  • Trust in the IC ecosystem deepens
  • Innovation is driven by a plurality of voices
  • Systemic resilience is strengthened

If WTN accelerates centralization:

  • Power consolidates into the hands of a few
  • Community participation declines
  • Governance becomes opaque and self-serving
  • Long-term legitimacy and adaptability erode

The IC community stands at a defining crossroads. WTN can either be the scaffold for a decentralized future—or the mechanism that undermines it from within.

The decision isn’t just technical—it’s philosophical, ethical, and structural. We must ask: Are we building tools for collective empowerment—or architectures of disguised control?

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WaterNeuron controls 0.64% voting power on the NNS, but let’s continue with this narrative; it’s the greatest threat to the IC. :laughing:

On the other hand, lets the actual centralization of the NNS where a single entity can change anything it wants within seconds.

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WTN MAFIA is betting on centralization while undermining our governance processes sacrificing decentralization for returns.

WTN has zero monetary policy sovereignty: its power is fully parasitic on ICP yield and security guarantees.

Meta-governance dynamics will become more influential than genuine participation, proposal quality, or protocol contribution.

WTN DAO is fragile, politically vulnerable, and ethically paradoxical .

The DAO not only took NF funds it will also annex 10 % VP of the IC community.

It’s basically a blackbox, a potential backdoor - undermining accountability - requiring tight control and oversight. But the current team is even ignoring their own investors and community.

PLEASE GO BUILD WEB2 SHIT @1eo.

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It is one of the greatest threats to the IC right now, yes.

You can frame it in what ever cherry pickin’ way you want, but you’ve got a group of people who have hoodwinked the rest of the community. The same old voting power grab that you’ve been trying to do since genesis.

What happens when 30M ICP comes in from Coinbase, and other CEXes could push that even higher. That voting power is now in the hands of David, Enzo, Leo, and Wenzel. The people who have blatently lied to the community and refuse to properly decentralise the voting of WTN.

Keep talking, I think it’s obvious to people what’s going on now.

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Yes it’s obvious that Coinbase has not put any icp into wtn and you’re fear mongering

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WTN has zero monetary policy sovereignty because it lacks its own yield engine, internal revenue model, or economic control mechanisms. All WTN rewards are repackaged ICP staking rewards, and its influence stems from proxy engagement with the NNS. This renders it fully parasitic on ICP’s economic base layer : WTN cannot sustain itself without ongoing ICP security, monetary emissions, and proposal production. It amplifies extractive potential while shouldering none of the base protocol’s risks or responsibilities.

1 Like