3-2-1 - August 14, 2021
3 - Inspiring crypto/blockchain quotes
“For merchants, it is an amazing opportunity. Compared to Paypal, crypto has no credit card fees, no charge backs, no 'Oops, we decided to hold your cash for 3-12 months while we investigate something we can't disclose.'”
Gil Penchina. Former CEO, Wikia Inc.
“Blockchain should be used to address opportunities and problems that lack easier answers.”
“The emergence of open Internet protocols for value exchange, today led by the global adoption of Bitcoin's blockchain, paves the way for value to move as freely as information and data move on the Internet today.”
2 - Reflections from this week’s blog
The past week has been interesting, exhausting, confusing, and everything in between. With the poorly worded crypto provisions included in the must-pass infrastructure bill causing a stir, tensions were high, and emotions were higher. One thing that came from all of this, which demonstrated the power of the crypto community to enact change, was the unified response. People from all corners of the crypto space, from Bitcoin maximalists to smart contract developers, came together online and voiced their opposition productively. This put the crypto conversation at the forefront, and demonstrated the importance of advocacy and civil discourse.
Building off this, it is important for those in the space to contemplate how to productively organize and share the positive message of crypto and blockchain, as a technology than can and will change the world for the better. The prevailing narratives amongst the decision makers related to crypto are not positive, and focus on the myths of crypto as a climate catastrophe and the currency of criminals. It’s important that the crypto community comes together, challenges these prevailing narratives, and helps those in positions of power, and the public, see the positive side of crypto, and the potential it has to be a force for good in the world.
1 - Quality educational resource
Blockchain 101 Beginners Course
There are so many free online courses available ranging in quality, content, and difficulty. The Blockchain 101 Bootcamp for beginners, a free course offered through Udemy, is a great 1.5-hour introduction to the technology behind cryptocurrencies. In covers all the important concepts for those who are new to space, including the key terms and processes in blockchains, up to Smart Contracts and DApps.
