0028 The Mathematics of Mania_

Catalog

ponzinomics_

The Mathematics of Mania
Ponzinomics is not just a scam. It’s a structure — one that masquerades as innovation, reward, and momentum. It begins innocently enough: early incentives, community growth, network effects. But beneath the whitepaper lies a fragile truth — when new money is required to sustain old promises, collapse is not a bug. It’s the final line of code.

This work traces that architecture — the rhythm of unsustainable growth dressed in futuristic language. In crypto, ponzinomics isn’t hidden in the shadows. It’s marketed on the homepage. APY in triple digits. Emissions schedules without end. Looping mechanics that sound clever but resolve, inevitably, into a scramble for exits.

And yet, it works — temporarily. Because what’s being sold isn’t just yield. It’s urgency. Velocity. A momentary sense of inevitability that dissolves as quickly as it builds.

This piece doesn't moralize. It maps. Ponzinomics is the pattern behind the panic. The glitter beneath the governance token. A choreography of hype, exit liquidity, and silence.

It’s also deeply human. Because people want to believe. That they’re early. That they’ve cracked it. That this time is different. The structure rewards that belief — until it punishes it.

In the traditional world, ponzis hide. In crypto, they perform. We call them ecosystems. Flywheels. Economic games. The sophistication has evolved — but the skeleton is the same.

This work is a freeze-frame of that movement. The seductive arc of acceleration before the rug. It doesn’t accuse. It observes. Because to understand crypto’s most viral economic designs, you must start with this one.

When value depends on growth, and growth depends on narrative, all that’s left is timing.

And in that timing, the line between genius and exit scam gets paper-thin.

________

Edition of Two, Each Unique
Only two mirrors exist at this scale — one mounted on a varnished wood panel, the other on black acrylic. Each is accompanied by a hand-signed certificate of authenticity, certifying its rarity and provenance.

Materials
Acrylic and polymer on mirror, mounted on wood panel. Silkscreened using our overprinting technique: multiple layers of paint meticulously applied to create a subtle, tactile depth within the text.

Year
2025

Dimensions
11.75 x 11.75 x 2 in. (30 x 30 x 5 cm)

A reflective artifact of crypto culture—where permanence meets perception, and meaning shifts with the viewer.