The Crisis of Self-Determination in the Age of Centralized States & Currencies

Xalkan Cabrapan Duarte · [email protected]

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TL;DR This paper outlines the design, rationale, and real-world applications of Syron — a bitcoin-backed metaprotocol for issuing overcollateralized stablecoins. It addresses the global crisis of monetary self-determination, examining how state currencies — often controlled by centralized regimes or foreign powers — perpetuate economic dependency and suppress financial sovereignty. Through historical and contemporary case studies — including Gaza, the CFA franc zone, and indigenous nations — the paper shows how Syron proposes a structural alternative: BTC-collateralized, programmable currencies issued by the people who use them. Designed for autonomy and resilience, Syron aims to create fairer, decentralized monetary systems rooted in self-custody and relational liberalism. A key message: currencies can be reclaimed — and through re-signification, communities can transform instruments of control into symbols of resistance and financial self-determination.

Abstract

This whitepaper offers a deeper exploration of Syron, a bitcoin-collateralized metaprotocol for sovereign currency issuance, building on previous foundational materials released by TyronDAO. As Syron advances from conceptual design into active testing, this document examines its evolution as a response to the systemic limitations of centralized state currencies. Rooted in examples of financial exclusion — from Gaza and other marginalized indigenous communities to African states that, though independent, are still bound to neocolonial currencies like the CFA franc — TyronDAO proposes a decentralized alternative grounded in self-custody and relational liberalism. Powered by Bitcoin Layer 1 and the Internet Computer, Syron enables the creation of overcollateralized, fiat-pegged stablecoins that preserve financial autonomy and foster inclusive, community-driven economies. This paper outlines the theoretical foundations, technical architecture, and socio-political implications of Syron’s model.

The Challenge of Monetary Self-Determination

Across the world, centralized fiat currencies have functioned as tools of control — reinforcing economic dependency, weakening local governance, and constraining the financial autonomy of entire communities. These dynamics are particularly evident in the experiences of indigenous groups such as the Mapuche — based in Chile and Argentina — and the Kurds, a stateless ethnic group across Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. Both communities are routinely denied territorial recognition and economic self-determination, facing systemic discrimination and political repression. Likewise, LGBTQ+ communities face systemic financial exclusion, especially in some Muslim-majority countries where state control is closely intertwined with conservative religious doctrines.

From the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to the structural exclusion endured by indigenous populations, marginalized groups, and communities without recognized statehood, the need for alternative monetary systems grounded in the principles of self-determination has become both urgent and undeniable. In Africa, this crisis is further mirrored in the continued use of the CFA franc across West and Central African nations. Though nominally independent, these states remain monetarily constrained by a colonial-era currency governed outside their control. The CFA franc serves as a striking example of neocolonial monetary occupation — restricting policy sovereignty and perpetuating economic dependency.

Relational liberalism reconceives liberty not simply as freedom from coercion, but as the presence of systems that support both individual and collective self-determination. This principle underpins Syron’s approach to decentralized identity and finance, enabling users to engage with technologies that reflect their values and foster independence. In this paradigm, self-sovereign identity becomes foundational — catalyzing the emergence of programmable network state economies instead of centralized states.

Syron's Metaprotocol Architecture: Bitcoin as the Core Collateral Strategy

Syron presents a decentralized metaprotocol built on Bitcoin that empowers users to issue stablecoins pegged to various fiat currencies. All Syron stablecoins are overcollateralized with bitcoin (BTC), ensuring systemic coherence, transparency, and resilience. Through cryptographic and transparent issuance mechanisms, users maintain complete control without reliance on traditional financial institutions (see Minting).

Although Syron enables the creation of multiple stablecoins — such as SUSD and the Syron Shekel — all are overcollateralized with BTC. This ensures coherence, mitigates liquidity fragmentation, and concentrates value in a singular, globally recognized asset. TyronDAO’s long-term vision is to solidify BTC as the reserve asset for all currencies issued through the metaprotocol. DAO governance mechanisms will coordinate liquidity and utility across stablecoins, reinforcing Syron’s mission: to enable monetary systems grounded in relational liberalism, self-custody, and financial self-determination.

Syron Stablecoins: Enabling Self-Custody and Liquidity

Syron SUSD is the first implementation of the Syron stablecoin model. It is overcollateralized with bitcoin held on Bitcoin Layer 1 and secured by the Internet Computer. Users deposit BTC into individual, auditable Safety Deposit ₿oxes to mint SUSD, preserving complete ownership of their assets (see Safety Deposit ₿ox). This allows individuals to “be their own bank” — accessing liquidity without relinquishing custody. TyronDAO further supports this ecosystem through a gasless payment system that facilitates fast, transparent donations and peer-to-peer transactions (see ICPayments). As the crypto community reminds us: not your keys, not your coins.

Case Study: The Israeli Shekel and Financial Control in Gaza

The situation in Palestine provides a compelling illustration of how centralized currency systems can perpetuate economic domination. Lacking monetary sovereignty, Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank are compelled to use the Israeli shekel — a currency issued and controlled by the Bank of Israel. This dependency functions as a tool of financial control, limiting access to liquidity and reinforcing economic subordination under occupation. Following the escalation of conflict in 2023 and the resulting blockade on financial infrastructure, over 90% of bank branches in Gaza were destroyed, and most ATMs remain non-functional. With no new cash entering the territory, only individuals with access to Israeli shekels can buy goods in the few markets that remain operational. The shekel thus becomes more than just a means of exchange; it symbolizes financial exclusion under occupation.

It is important to clarify that TyronDAO does not support authoritarian regimes. Our concern is with the civilian population — particularly vulnerable communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals — who face not only economic hardship but systemic discrimination under conservative and often theocratic governance. Homosexuality is criminalized in Gaza under legacy colonial laws still enforced by Hamas, with penalties including long-term imprisonment. Reports have emerged of executions and severe persecution due to accusations of homosexuality. These realities further underscore the necessity for financial systems that operate outside the structures of political violence and institutionalized oppression. Syron highlights the critical importance of alternative monetary frameworks grounded in self-determination and decentralized access.

Case Study: The CFA Franc and Neocolonial Occupation

The continued use of the CFA franc across fourteen countries in West and Central Africa presents a stark example of how monetary systems can serve as instruments of neocolonial control. Originally introduced under French colonial rule, the CFA franc is pegged at a fixed rate to the euro (€1 = 655.957 CFA francs since 1999) and was, until 2021, governed by a system requiring member states to deposit 50% of their foreign exchange reserves into the French Treasury. While reforms have nominally reduced France’s financial control, the structural foundations of this arrangement remain intact — limiting monetary sovereignty and effectively channeling neocolonial revenues to European institutions. Despite formal political independence, these countries operate under a system in which their monetary policy remains externally determined, a condition that continues to reinforce economic dependency and restrict financial liberty.

This dynamic echoes, in a different geopolitical context, the Palestinian situation under the Israeli shekel. Both cases illustrate how centralized monetary regimes — whether through neocolonial or military occupation — erode the financial self-determination of affected populations. In both scenarios, the currency is not merely a medium of exchange but a mechanism of external control. As a thought experiment, the Syron Franc envisions an alternative: a bitcoin-collateralized stablecoin pegged to the same fixed euro exchange rate as the CFA franc, but issued through a decentralized, open metaprotocol. While yet purely hypothetical, the Syron Franc demonstrates how Syron’s model could be adapted to reclaim local agency — replacing extractive monetary structures with systems rooted in transparency, user ownership, and programmable governance.

Syron Deployment on Bitcoin Mainnet

The Syron metaprotocol is currently live in testing on Bitcoin Layer 1 with key features such as BTC-collateralized stablecoin issuance, as well as instant, gasless payments powered by the Internet Computer. The TyronDAO dApp allows users to deposit BTC, generate SUSD by minting SYRON BRC-20 tokens (see Token), and convert these tokens back into BTC via secure redemption mechanisms (see Burning). Ongoing tests are focused on optimizing collateral management, secure redemption flows, and ensuring smooth smart-contract interactions for decentralized payment execution. This infrastructure supports financial liberty and user ownership, offering a scalable, trust-minimized platform for sovereign digital finance. Future milestones include integrating community governance mechanisms and supporting additional fiat-pegged stablecoins. The protocol is evolving — and your participation is welcome as we refine its core mechanisms.

Conclusion

The crisis of monetary self-determination is neither hypothetical nor distant — it is unfolding in real time, across communities denied basic financial autonomy. From the currency dependency in Gaza and Africa to the exclusion of stateless and marginalized groups, centralized monetary regimes continue to impose structural limits on financial freedom. In response, Syron offers a path forward: a metaprotocol anchored in Bitcoin, designed to operationalize monetary self-determination by enabling users to create stable, transparent, and verifiably collateralized currencies aligned with their own values and governed on their own terms.

While the names of Syron stablecoins — such as the Syron Shekel or Syron Franc — echo currencies historically linked to colonial or state control, their use within the Syron metaprotocol represents a conscious act of re-signification. Much like marginalized communities have reclaimed derogatory language such as "queer" to assert identity and visibility, the reclamation of these currency names under user-governed, BTC-collateralized protocols transforms them into instruments of empowerment rather than oppression.

Rather than attempting to replace fiat currencies with a one-size-fits-all alternative, Syron aims to support a diverse ecosystem of stablecoins — all backed by bitcoin collateral and powered by open, cryptographic governance. This design reflects TyronDAO’s broader commitment to relational liberalism: empowering individuals and collectives to co-author their financial futures. As testing on Bitcoin Layer 1 continues and adoption grows, Syron invites builders, communities, and crypto advocates to help shape an inclusive, decentralized monetary solution rooted in financial autonomy and collective self-determination.