What is Crypto?

The first time I was asked that question, my mind flooded with countless answers. Panicked, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind and said, “It’s a troll on the financial system.”

Funny enough, I still love that answer. I see crypto as a social experiment, an identity, a religion, a lifestyle, and much more. It is also an unapologetic reflection of the human condition that can launch dreams or ruin lives. Many tokens are scams or puffery, but amidst the noise, there’s a growing community that is determined to unlock its potential in the best of ways.

Smart contracts and crypto are changing how we signal and trust by redefining the concepts of money, governance, allegiances, and communities. Many crypto projects are modeled after game theory and economic principles employed by central banks and Wall Street, exposing ways in which monetary policies and controls impose a hidden tax (e.g, inflation) upon those who do not understand the system.

By helping these topics enter public knowledge, people will be in a stronger position to achieve financial sovereignty and evolve the legacy systems and misaligned incentives. The perversion and arbitrary assignment of value has caused the world to focus on the bottom line as the end point, leading to destructive practices that make a few people rich while the whole world loses. By transforming the ways in which we measure value, coordinate efforts, hold people accountable, and distribute resources, we can look at the economic problems with fresh eyes, and build a better future.