Lesson 3: The Toolkit, Living Neo-Cypherpunk Today

Neo-Cypherpunk isn’t a theory.
It’s a practice, thousands of tiny, conscious choices that slowly take power back from the platforms that watch, rank, and monetize us.

You don’t have to vanish from the internet or run Graphene OS tomorrow.

 Start small. Start joyful. Start aware. 

• Use Signal instead of WhatsApp / Telegram for chats with friends
• Use adblockers to avoid visual spam
• Use VPNs to protect your data.

“You don’t need to reject big tech completely, just use it consciously, knowing how it works against you."

Being neo-cypherpunk is a constant evolution. It's a journey that starts with one step

1 · Start with the Basics, Encrypt Your Everyday

Privacy begins in daily habits, not ideology.

Small swaps make the biggest difference

Need -> Cypherpunk-friendly option

Browsing -> Brave 

Search -> DuckDuckGo

Chat -> Signal

Email -> Proton

Passwords -> KeePass

Files -> Fileverse

* Note that it’s not a must, but example of tools! Do your own research and find best tools for your case. 

Every time you choose one, you shift a bit of power away from surveillance capitalism. 

2 · Understand How Systems Work, Not Just What to Use

Neo-Cypherpunk is pluralist.

You can stay on Android or iOS, but learn what data they harvest and how to limit it.

“The goal isn’t digital purity, it’s digital literacy.”

Read privacy policies, reject cookies, don't share all your data with random websites.

 Owning knowledge is the first layer of encryption.

3 · Explore the Personal Privacy Stacks

The Personal Stacks Directory by Web3Privacy Now showcases real-world setups from activists, developers, and researchers.
Browse them for inspiration, not imitation.

Each shows a different balance between usability and sovereignty.
Check  stacks.web3privacy.info and the community hashtag #personalprivacy.

4 · Pluralism Is Strength

There’s no single “right” chain, wallet, or app.

 The Neo-Cypherpunk mindset is multi-stack, ETH, BTC, Zcash, Monero, Brume, Cashu, Proton, choose what fits your context and threat model.

“Diversity keeps us free; monocultures make us controllable.”

5 · Culture Counts

Privacy isn’t isolation.
Join small communities, share memes, trade tips, remix manifestos.
Each conversation grows the collective defense network.

Neo-Cypherpunk thrives in dialogue, not secrecy.

Neo-Cypherpunk cultural kit explained in video:

6 Pseudonymity is fun

In Web3, avatars are the new masks and Milady became one of the most iconic.

Born as a generative NFT collection on Ethereum, Milady evolved beyond art into a cultural symbol: an aesthetic of irony, softness, and pseudonymity.

On X, countless users adopt Milady PFPs as digital shields. Not to hide, but to express freedom from identity tracking and corporate profiling

It’s privacy wrapped in vibe.

Like the Cypherpunks once used cryptography to defend dignity, Milady uses culture, humor, and anonymity to reclaim it.

“In a world that demands transparency, the mask becomes an act of freedom".

Try This Now

Pick one habit today:

• Try Brave or DuckDuckGo search instead of Google
  
  
• Try VPN
• Try a different browser
  
  
  
  

Tiny moves becomes massive momentum.

That’s how code becomes culture.

Next Lesson 4: The Movement, From “I” to “We.”

We’ll close by exploring how cypherpunks evolved into carepunks, and why privacy without solidarity isn’t freedom.