“The Promise of Crypto is more freedom of expression and playful connection”, says The Party Scientist. His mission is to uphold the ethos of blockchain: community; which he believes is the elixir of life.
If you attend enough crypto conferences, you’ll probably meet the guy wearing a labcoat hauling around a giant boombox (known as
his SOUNDBOKS). In Puerto Rico, you would have seen him start multiple street parties in a banana suit. Bitcoin Miami, you would have witnessed him inviting people to dance in a dumpster of Venezuelan fiat bills. At DCentralCon Miami, you would have heard him emceeing the DeFi stage—and getting multiple people on stage dancing inbetween panels. And at Cryptopulco, you would have observed him party-crash the all-speakers gala in the main conference hall.
Right before COVID, on the main stage of the international Envision Festival
This is Jacques, known as The Party Scientist, and he’s an evangelist for the health benefits of human connection and freedom of expression. Before his debut into Crypto Culture via the Decentralized Dance Party (DDP) in Vancouver Canada, Jacques was applying his pharmacology degree as an emergency medic at giant festivals. The carnage he dealt with led him to start hosting sober flashmob dance parties everywhere he travelled, on a mission to change party culture. Across 13 countries and hundreds of parties, Jacques developed an expertise that he now offers to atypical conferences and festivals— including Envision Festival.
Jacques was introduced to bitcoin in 2016 by his father Gary Lachance, known for his bitcoin-powered street parades advocating for decentralization of power in society—the DDP. In 2018, Gary sent Jacques as an emissary of the DDP to Puerto Rico. This was during the first Crypto boom, and when Jacques integrated into the community. Since then, Jacques has party-crashed dozens of blockchain events, reminding the community of its underlying ethos.
And if you ask him why he’s excited about crypto, he’ll answer with two aspects of life based on the science of well-being: Community and play. “If we don’t focus on cultural change, blockchain will amplify the same consumerist, materialist, workaholic values that are driving the rise of loneliness, suicide, and depression. Facebook didn’t solve loneliness. The smartphone didn’t increase leisure.”
“The tech doesn’t matter if the culture stays the same.”
This is what you’ll hear Jacques say.
And so, if you see Jacques at a blockchain event, he’ll be practicing what he preaches. You’ll see him getting groups of strangers singing, dancing, laughing, and huddling, all of which are healthy social-bonding processes. If you ask Jacques what his immediate aim is, he’ll answer: “Raise the average amount of oxytocin being released here.” Oxytocin is the stress-busting neurotransmitter released during touch, eye contact, and love-making. The more oxytocin released, the more nourishing the social connection to the body. Often, talking is the primary means of connection at crypto events—but it doesn’t release very much oxytocin. Jacques is hired to change that. With the power of music, movement, touch, and song—party science.
“The promise of crypto is a culture that prioritizes community involvement and leisure. One where we have the time to be with friends and family, screen-free. This is a culture where our brains release a lot more oxytocin each day. This is why I’m excited.”
The next time you see the labcoat-wearing party scientist, remind yourself of this ethos, put down your phone, and join the fun. You’ll feel nourished and high. High off human connection.
