Down The Crypto Rabbit Hole
2015 to 2019
My journey down the crypto rabbit hole started in 2015.
I was a portfolio strategist for hedge funds and high-net worth individuals, specialized in commodities, and was early in identifying the market and sentiment shifts that led to a boom for Gold, Lithium, Rare Earth Metals, and other commodities essential to governments maintaining economic, defense, and political sovereignty.
While researching African gold miners one fateful day in 2015, I came across the concept of a “digital gold.” Of course, we all know that digital gold was, in fact, Bitcoin.
I began to ask questions, and researched to find my own answers - “What was Bitcoin? What was blockchain? Was this Bitcoin thing a fad, and blockchain the innovation that would yield disruption? Haven’t digital currencies been tried, and failed, before? Is there an opportunity here for me to achieve goals and make far-reaching progress in my life?”
There were some challenges in answering these questions, which led me to reach out to a LinkedIn connection with the words “blockchain” and “dev” in his bio. I was in luck - it turned out that this connection was one of the early developers of Ethereum. In our conversation he directed me to the Ethereum whitepaper and introduced me to “dApps.”
Now better understanding the differences between, and unique needs for, blockchain, Bitcoin, and Ethereum, I was able to formulate my investment thesis: in all Industrial Revolutions there are recurring phases and that, once we understand where are are in the cycle, we can position our portfolios and skill sets accordingly. The phases we see in every cycle of innovation and disruption are: tech innovation yields industrial disruption which leads to economic unrest and, ultimately, warfare.
Here’s a recent update on the idea - What Is The Industrial Revolution (And Why Should I Care)?