Jan 3
Jacob Chansley and Jan 6, 2021: From the Capitol to Crypto
Jacob Chansley (formerly QShaman) is inextricably linked to the January 6, 2021 events at the Capitol building. He was a victim of his self-led journey from within — a journey which would’ve been far less tumultuous had the government disclosed his mental health diagnosis in 2006 while he served in the Navy aboard the USS Kitty Hawk. Instead, the military simply told him that he was “fit for duty”, and for 15 years, he traversed a path without guidance, ultimately resulting in his appearance at the Capitol on Jan 6 after he was called to action by the most powerful person in the free world.
Of course, Jacob understands that he’d made a mistake on that day. The rise of fringe groups such as QAnon was the result of a perfect storm — millions of people with feelings of disenfranchisement seeking higher purpose were egged on by a cult of personality and rampant misinformation on social media. There was a relentless pursuit by mainstream media outlets to cover the existence of these fringe groups and thus add fuel to the fire and continue a vicious circle.
In typical fashion, the media pounced on Jacob’s image, ignoring the truth. The government pounced on his image, ignoring the truth. Together, they made him their sacrificial lamb in an effort to wield more power, insisting to the public that they were combating “domestic extremism” — a straw man — but in reality exploiting him to ultimately usher in a new era of government overreach through censorship and deplatforming in a classic divide and conquer approach. Sadly, much of our nation has sat idly by, using Jacob’s image to serve as yet another unintended source of divisiveness.
We’ve all been manipulated by these forces on a daily basis to different degrees; fortunately, people are beginning to question establishment narratives and are seeking the truth.
As legacy institutions like government and media propagate lies, fear, and deceit for financial and political gain, there’s an incredibly profound movement taking place that can truly shift the global paradigm and challenge current power structures: DeFi and crypto.
“Life of Shamans” is the officially authorized Jacob Chansley NFT project.
Digital art in the form of NFTs is a key driver of the growth and mass recognition of the DeFi/crypto movement. The Life of Shamans NFT collection (link here) is a grassroots movement that invites you to own a piece of history and join a community. Institutional malfeasance isn’t limited to mainstream media or politicians. Bias, corruption, and ineptitude equally plague “independent” agencies such as the SEC. Gary Gensler, the SEC’s Chairman, has established himself as an anti-consumer political tool after attempting to squash Ethereum, the second most popular cryptocurrency and the technology on which OpenSea, the platform for this NFT project, is built.
Building this community around NFTs makes the most sense considering the crypto community’s widespread skepticism towards governments and other centralized institutions. Many of those who truly believe in the power of crypto are vehemently opposed to censorship, deplatforming, thought policing, etc.
The collection includes 1,006 unique NFTs including animated images with attribute rarity properties, never before seen images of Jacob donning crypto apparel, and original artwork from Jacob who is an artist himself and provided creative oversight to the project. The animated art ranges from lighthearted and frivolous to introspective and provocative and everything in between.
- The collection’s preview edition officially drops on January 24, 2022 and includes 300 animated Shamans with varying attributes & rarity
- The second and third drops will follow several weeks after and will each include another 300 animated Shamans also with varying attributes & rarity but in a different style
- The fourth drop will feature 12 of Jacob’s original art pieces along with pieces that depict political figures on both sides of the aisle that are anti-crypto
- The final drop will feature original content of Jacob wearing crypto apparel including a video of him verbalizing his support for DeFi and crypto — this final drop will be the most-eye opening
- All 1,006 unique NFTs will drop between January 6 and May 22, and the project will tie in exclusive, real-world events to NFT sales
- Neither Jacob nor the NFT team is profiting off of this project
By buying one of the NFTs, you become a “Shaman” and enter a chat group in which free-thinking individuals engage in productive and nuanced discourse. These 1,006 Shamans will build the foundation of a group that will only grow in size as more and more people become disillusioned by prevailing mainstream narratives and seek enlightenment.
Shamans in the physical world are inherently healers. They travel to different realms to seek wisdom and enlightenment, and this is what we need in a world tainted by mass media-induced polarization and corruption on both sides of the political aisle.
We understand that not everyone has an inner Shaman and some will deride the intentions of this project, and that’s fine! Some prefer to live complacently in a fantasyland in which a benevolent media and government always look out for their best interests. This is an easy, simple, and comfortable place to live. Others, however, can see through the charade and chicanery and are eager to embark on a personal and intellectual journey where individuals can pursue the truth with courage and conviction while enlightening and supporting one another.
The only “political” statement that this project is trying to make is that crypto provides solutions and that free thought will prevail. It isn’t trying to rehabilitate Jacob’s public image. The media has already destroyed him. Instead of listening to them babble on about the “horrors” of Jan 6 and “domestic extremism”, we’re encouraging people to participate in more productive, nuanced discourse and express optimism for decentralization.
Jacob now embraces the potential of DeFi, crypto, and community-led empowerment and acknowledges the transformative role that they can play in galvanizing efforts towards a more honest future. Yet, this is a movement bigger than a mere commentary on Jacob or Jan 6. It’s about the powerful intersection of crypto, politics, media, and Shamanic cultures.
There’s no better way to rebuke the media and establishment that try to hold us hostage than by joining an NFT club inspired by the person that they’ve destroyed and used as a sacrificial lamb. This project is reclaiming a narrative through decentralization and is rendering Jacob as a new type of symbol. Welcome to a virtual space where Jacob’s image is a conduit for those who believe in crypto, want to engage in free discourse, and hope for a better future.
May crypto and DeFi free us all.
